I was talking to someone at work the other day and mentioned something funny that my best friend had told me recently. My co worker laughed and commented on how "she" (meaning my best friend) sounded like a funny girl. And when I corrected her and told her that my best friend was a guy, she looked at me as if I had three heads.
The ultimate question has always been this: can men and women truly be best friends? Just friends,with no romantic intentions? For ages,women have always talked about the bond between women, not the possible bond between a man and a woman. "Sex and the City" was about four single women who were best friends, not two women and two men. Every TV drama has turned, or attempted to turn, any female and male cast mates into onscreen couples. This is the twenty-first century. Friendships between men and women are much more common then they were even in the 80's. But still, many people have the common belief that men and women cannot be best friends.
I do agree that not all men and women can be best friends. Many men and women can't even stand to be in the same room together. The male brain (at least these days) is ingrained with the need for sex first, questions later. Women, even those who look for one night stands, are naturally more emotional, or at the very least, feel the need for clarity, even with a brief encounter. Men are very simple. Women's brains are extremely complicated, running a mile a minute. It can be hard for men and women to be around each other, and often with friendships between men and women, one person develops feelings while the other one doesn't and someone gets their heart broken. I agree-the idea, even though modern, that men and women can be friends, is still strange-sounding when you think about how many divorces there are and how many broken hearts are walking around these days. However, there are those rare times when two people click in such a way that they can't help being friends-it just makes sense.
Personally, I believe that men and women can definitely be best friends. Most of my close friends, in the past and right now, are guys. In fact, I have only one really close girlfriend. And most importantly, my best friend, Mike, is a guy. We text all the time. We talk on the phone when we can. Our conversations consist of long back-and-forth teasing sessions about bologna sandwiches, movies, and girl and guy advice. And not once have I ever thought about us being anything more than friends. Maybe it's just me, but if all girls had at least one close guy friend, someone to give them blunt advice, someone to help them figure out the men in their life, someone to relate to without that woman-on-woman jealousy and emotionality that is often a part of female relationships, maybe us girls wouldn't be so crazy and confused and emotional.
So, while many people still think that men and women as best friends is taboo, I think it's completely do-able. Again, not all girls can just go pluck out a guy to be their best friend-you've gotta be a good-natured chick with a good sense of humor to be able to hang with the guys. My advice? Don't try too hard. Act naturally, and maybe your best friend will stumble upon you someday. If not, don't worry about it. Just know that not every male that crosses your path has to be a one-night stand or a long-term relationship. Sometimes, it's okay to be friends and meet in the middle.
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