In between...

Today is one of those weird days of the year. It is winter here still, kind of. There is snow on the ground but it has been warm so it isn't really ideal for winter activities. It is a little to warm, and the snow is icy and slushy.

It also isn't spring. Too early for fish. I would love to go "plinking," or shooting, but I haven't been here long enough to know of a good place to go... plus that is kind of lame to do by yourself. I would take the wife but she is going to one of those jewelry parties tonight where they offer all sorts of great "deals." So I am in one of those "I need to get out and do something... but what is there to do" moods. I mean, I am in Alaska there are unlimited possibilities.

I guess it is fitting that it is Lent. I feel as if I am in a "desert" - but then I realized what the issue is. Male friends. It is hard for guys to find and/or be friends with other guys. There are a whole lot of reasons for this, but I have always found it to be true. I think the big reason is that a lot of guys present themselves as 1 dimensional. They are afraid to show themselves as anything more than a small sliver of who they are; they are unwilling to open at that emotional level. Or, a guy is so willing to show that emotional side that he pushes other guys away.

Rarely do you find an "in between" guy that can be both a guys-guy and an emotional guy. You see this all the time in the Catholic Church. There are the guys that are involved in everything, very open, usually very holy, but also very overwhelming for new guys or guys who are still learning to walk in Faith. The flip to this coin are the guys who sit in back, don't say anything, and present themselves with an air of mystery and appear to be "standoff-ish." They are usually new to the faith or unsure exactly how to practice their faith.

This usually causes the two groups to never meet, hang out, or even really strike up friendships. Sure the wives might be friends, and guys from both groups will know each other and even talk occasionally at functions or parties - but they usually wont be good friends i.e. calling each other up to hang out.

And then you have the "in between" type of guys. Ready willing and able to hang out with either... but for some reason each side sees the "in betweeners" in the light opposite to them. In other words... they are viewed by both as the "other type of guy." So in the grand scheme of things no one really becomes friends outside of their "type."

Now I know this is a simplistic view of things... and maybe isn't even true across the board everywhere... but something tells me this will resonate with more than a few of you. I have my ideas how to break this situation up a bit... but we will see if it can be done.

-Posted by: Joe