There is a lot of truth in the title, “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus.” A man and a woman can walk away from a discussion and have a completely different interpretation of how it went. She will think about it for the next six months, analyze every word he said, every facial expression that crossed his face. She will be short (or silent) with him during conversations. On the other hand, he will head to the bed for a nap, sleep like a baby, and the conversation will never occur to him again until she brings it up on their 60th anniversary. I wish I could compartmentalize like that. Women have one big compartment…and everything is in it.

Being around a woman means more complication than a man is used to. Everything from our emotions to our closet is subject to our genetic programming. Men find that out as soon as they get married. Nothing is ever as it seems. I am amazed that after all this time, most men still don’t get that the word “fine” means anything but.  A loud sigh? That means she thinks he’s clueless. If she says, “Go ahead” it’s a dare. She just wants to watch the disaster that comes with not following her advice. These are basic to understanding a woman.

I envy men for being so comparatively uncomplicated. You’ll never see a man crying because he just feels like it. If men have an argument with their buddy, they can slug it out and then go out for some pizza. No one will ever mention it again. If women are involved in a big argument, it will NEVER be forgotten. Even the chance of it being resolved within a few days is highly doubtful. If a man chooses to punish his adversary, it usually involves physical violence. If a woman does, it will involve manipulation and, possibly, poison.  If I called one of my female friends “Nut job” or “Brainless” our friendship might effectively be over—FOREVER. If a man says it to his buddy, it’s the ultimate form of affection (there’s also usually some kind of physical violence--a punch to the gut or a headlock).

Men also get a huge break when it comes to appearance. Their hair has one style that usually consists of running their fingers through it. One pair of shoes can work for nearly any occasion. As a rule, women fight aging while men with wrinkles are considered to have character. Personally, I love to see lines in a people’s faces. It tells me that they laughed, they lived. It’s much better to meet an interesting person than an attractive person.

Whether you are a man or a woman, you have to agree that the two sexes balance each other beautifully.  This Valentine’s Day, embrace the differences that make men and women stronger by being with each other. Oh, and if she tells you she’s “fine,” start going over everything that has happened in the past 24 hours. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Women always have the last word in an argument. Anything a man adds after that is the beginning of a new argument.
-Unknown