Girls Rule Boys Drool

It seems to have come up in conversations recently, so after all of these years I've decided to give some thought to the question. What are the differences (for me) between female friends and male friends? Aside from the obvious.

I am fortunate to say that I have had many close relationships with both sexes over the years, my first boy "friend" was Steven. I'm very bad with dates and years so I'm guessing we were about six or seven. Steven lived three doors down from me and he was a year younger. We played lots of made up games and explored nature. Once we found a dead bird and dissected it. That was the day I got my first wasp sting. Then there was Sandy, we played house. At this point in my life there were no little girls on my block and so I had not yet experienced a real girlfriend, I also had only boy cousins, so I guess you could say I developed an ease around boys.

My first real girlfriend that I remember was when I started elementary school. Her name was Melody and sometimes I ate lunch at her house or visited after school. 
My friendships were never like "The Bill Chill" I never was in a group of friends that hung out and did stuff together. It was always one on one and still is. Every once in a while there would be two girls, it was fun while it lasted but it never seemed to, last that is.

So now lets get to the meat of the question. What are the differences? Well, with girlfriends, we talk about boys (boyfriends, love interests) and with boys we talked about love interests, usually of the opposite sex. Occasionally, I would go shopping with a friend, but usually alone. Some guys are very helpful at this. Drinks, dinner, lunch, movies, it's all the same with boys and girls. Talking is the key. Real friends no matter which sex are best to talk to. Talking on the sofa, on the phone, at tea, while standing by your car, skyping, texting, iming.

Ya know how people always say the sign of a true friend is: "it doesn't matter how long we've been apart we just pick up were we left off" I say the sign of a true friend is when one or both of you needs to leave and neither of you can stop talking.

The sex of the person makes not one bit a difference.

The Boy

There is a boy I work with, by boy I refer to an eighteen year old. He resembles a young Paul Newman, but for green eyes. From his work persona, he seems like a good kid. Does his job, helps when he sees the need without being asked, quiet. He has a steady girlfriend of quite some years whom he seems to be thoroughly in love with. He wants a career in art, God bless him.

What draws me to this kid is his freedom of speech, at least to me, when we are speaking alone. He has no inhibitions being complimentary to me, even though I am old enough to be his Grandmother. No, I'm not attracted to him, he is a child. I am fascinated by him, I watch this behavior in an almost clinical way.
I wonder at what point in time, when a boy becomes a man, does he start to hold back his thoughts?

I've had very little experience with men who compliment women with such ease. I see it in movies, but most of the men I've encountered have excuses why they cannot give so freely. Scarred by past relationships, fear of rejection or humiliation. Just generally not comfortable with saying what they are thinking or seeing no reason why they should.

When his girlfriend stops by work he tells her he likes her shirt, she looks cute. She seems to take it for granted, I don't even hear a thank you from her lips. It looks as though he is given nothing in return, but what do I know? Maybe this will cause him to stop giving as he matures.

The other day I was just going through my daily routine, when we passed each other. He said "We're you goin lookin all pretty?" It made me giggle. I had gotten my hair colored but had no make-up on, nor was I wearing anything other than my normal work attire. For every women this boy encounters through-out his entire lifetime...I hope he never losses this charm, sincerity, and ability to give simple compliments.

How many lives could he touch, how many frowns could he turn around, how many days will he have the ability to "make" for someone along the way? What a loss it will be if he ever grows up.