When Tyler was a teenager, I always said to him, "Be glad you're not a girl. You'll never have to wear a bra." and "Be glad you're not a girl. You'll never have to have a period." To which he replied, "Yeah, but you don't have to ask guys out and risk the rejection." (I told him I had asked guys out, but I didn't tell him they rarely refused me.)
As I'm getting to know the Professor and realize what an open man he is, I think he's very courageous. When he's fearful of something or hurting inside, he's not afraid to talk to me about it and display those vulnerabilities. And I think that takes an enormous amount of courage.
I think we women, who stride along and exhibit self-confidence and self-possession and all those other self- adjectives, must be enormously scary to men. We have all our women friends, with whom we discuss everything and anything, from the price of artichokes to the latest self-help fads. We're not afraid to talk about our feelings, and it's no big deal to do so. Displaying vulnerabilities is cause for support from our friends, not disdain.
Men must be in constant competition with one another — for jobs, for women, for the best tickets to sporting events. How exhausting!
So, Tyler, I guess you win. Even with bras and periods and, now, these damned hot flashes, I think my life is easier than yours.
Keep up the good work!
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