Male Non-Bonding

I was sitting at the counter in a Madison Avenue diner enjoying a bagel and coffee when two young women came in and sat next to me. They were both laughing and talking excitedly to each other, but I was too polite to hear what they were saying.

Then one gave the other a present which, when unwrapped, turned out to be a book. I managed to overcome my politeness long enough to glance over and see the title was "The Girlfriends' Guide To Pregnancy." It was touching to see her friend's gesture of support and encouragement during such a life changing time.

I envy women. Men never get this kind of support. Men are expected to face their kinds of crises alone, without hope of assistance, trapped in an eternal bubble of emotional isolation.

You would never see a man give another man a book like "Hey, Buddy, Don't Let Your Crappy Job Get You Down!" or "The Boyfriends Guide To Impotence."

Not if he didn't want to get punched in the nose!