Boy Friends

posted by Momo Fali on February 3, 2011

When I was growing up, my immediate neighborhood had a handful of kids my age.  Within one block there were three boys and a girl with whom I spent many a summer night climbing trees and playing baseball.

One of the boys was a good friend and I spent a lot of time at his house.  He introduced me to Monty Python and he had a one-eyed, guinea pig.  No, that’s not a euphemism.

I had so much fun at his house.  I played his keyboard (oh my goodness, NOT a euphemism!), we battled at bumper-pool and there was a time, or two hundred, when we played video games.  Geekdom rules!

Fast forward to high school where one of my best friends was a boy.  I hung out at his house so much that when he moved away for good after high school, I still hung out with his mom all the time.  She and I used to have playdates for my daughter and her granddaughter.

I had another really good male friend during college, a group of men with whom I used to work that I’m still close to and, of course, there’s my ultimate best friend…my husband.  He has been with me through highs, lows, trauma, drama, thick and thin.  Mostly thick, if we’re discussing my thighs anyway.  Oh, and blogging; he’s been with me through that too.  He also pays our mortgage.  He’s a friend with all kinds of benefits.

Every one of these guys are people that I could see for the first time in years and pick up right where we left off.  There is no judging each other about the way we look, or what kind of moms we are, or feeling guilt because our house isn’t clean and theirs is, and they’re the head of the PTO and just made a craft and cupcakes and let their daughter have a slumber party where Supermom blended up cauliflower and put it into the punch, but the kids don’t even know they’re drinking vegetables!  Men don’t care.  I’m pretty sure they’re lacking the superficiality gene.  Because, there totally is one.

I am lucky that I have a husband who trusts me and understands that I like beer and football as much as I like home decorating and flowers.  He has a girl-friend (that’s a friend, who’s a girl) who goes to hockey games with him, because she loves hockey.  I don’t.
 
I feel more comfortable that he’s hanging out with her than with a lot of guys I know.  No offense, fellas.

And, if you are offended and feel like you need to argue that men and women can’t be friends, then me and my male, blogging bestie will take you down.  That’s right.  Downtown, Buster Brown.

Photo courtesy of Angry Julie.  Word.

Either that, or I’ll squish you with my chin(s).

    Comments

  • Backpacking Dad


    That's the gayest I've ever seen Jim look. And that's from the guy who was in a YouTube video with him singing "Guy Love".

    Not that there's anything wrong with that.

  • Jen O.


    I have WAY more guy friends than girl friends. I love them all equally in the exact same, plutonic way. And it's always been that way. I've always had an equal number of guys and girls that I would call my besties, and I can see that my daughter (who's 4) is picking that up because she's getting just as many birthday party invitations from her little boy friends as she is from girls.

  • Secret Agent Mama


    If Jim looks gay, then I want my husband to look gay!

  • BusyDad


    Shut your ducking fave! Yeah, that's right. Busting out the private jokes. We've earned that right. Hanging out with you was weird in that it was our first time really hanging out and it felt like I've already been hangingin out with you since forever ago. I almost brought a one-eyed guinea pig because I wanted out time to be memorable. Boy, that would have been awkward.

  • Mr Lady


    I'm just glad I got some alone time with you two on video. I can't wait for THAT to hit the rumour mill.

  • Momo Fali


    @MrLady Let's not forget that your children were in the room. #rumorsquelched

  • BusyDad


    I love when my comment is totally typo-ridden and I wasn't even on Ambien or using my droid.

  • UP


    I have very few male friends. I've worked with and for women most of my life, men don't get me, women do.

    And, BTW Downtown is SUCH a euphemism!

    Freud anyone?

    UP

  • Lotus (Sarcastic Mom)


    Ohhhh, to be so lucky to be squished by your chins.

    Some boys are pretty rad. Jim is definitely one of them.

    Man, I miss you guys.

    IJ Alert (hey, Jim did it) God bless Jesus! I love YOUUUUU [guys].

  • unmitigated me


    My blogging-bestie is a guy, too,(Hiya Cap'n!) and all through high school I hung out with guys . I just like guys better.

  • unmitigated me


    Also, I just signed up for Groupon and bought a B&N 20 for 10 through your link. Hope it provides a kickback for you!

  • Heather


    I loved meeting you (if I had met you before I am sorry most conferences are a blur) and spending a bit of time with you. I love Jim & I probably love him more that I found his shorter, female doppleganger in the hotel the day before he got there and then she mysteriously disappeared.

  • Coral


    That picture is so full of win!

  • Mrs4444


    Guys are awesome–I love most of them. They're so much easier than women, sometimes.

    Why did I think you weren't blogging anymore???

  • Kimmy


    My best friend for over a decade is a guy & we have that same pick up where we left off behavior now that he's moved across the country. So I absolutely agree!

  • Sadia


    I had a female neighbour come over one evening to help me bake cookies for a party, and when she left, she said something along the lines of "I'll keep my hood down so no one thinks you have a man in your house." Um … what? I'm so glad that my husband and I don't let gender stand in the way of friendship.

    And anyway, Jim is awesome.

  • meleah rebeccah


    I used to have MORE guy friends than girl friends – but now – it's the other way around.

  • WeaselMomma


    Having guy friends rocks!