Boys will be boys...

I was in between two conversations. I overheard Brandon tell Kelli, “Do you need to interview boys or men? Because that would definitely change the answers.” I looked at Brandon and smiled, knowing that he was being a pest. But, his comment reminded me about something. Months ago, on a ride home from Berkeley, Jessica and I pondered the question: “What is the difference between a boy and a man?” The following is a portion of my journal entry spawned from our conversation.

When does a guy earn the title, “man?” It has nothing to do with sexual experiences or camping trips with Dad. According to my observations, these are the differences between peach-fuzz-manliness and Santa-beard-masculinity:

· A man is chivalrous by instinct, whereas a boy is awkward in his social interactions with the opposite sex. (Never fear- I like goofy, awkward guys. But, I also love when a guy anticipates and recognizes ways to take care of the women around him. Now, that’s cool.)
· A man has goals and works toward them; a boy flounders and chooses the simplest path.
· A man pursues women with marked intentionality; a boy only chooses “safe” relationships. (Of course, I’m not suggesting that every man should be pursuing a woman at any given time. Rather, a man is willing to make huge sacrifices and risks when he knows what he wants).
· A man recognizes beauty and a boy measures girls by their “hot factor.”
· A man takes a stand and a boy follows popular opinion.
· A man fights for his principles and a boy fights to prove himself. Ack. We all loathe a “know it all.” A man’s source of pride is not in the “front” he is able to create, but in who he is at the core of his being.
· A man admits he is at fault, whereas a boy places blame. Five beautiful words: “I was wrong. I’m sorry.” We’re not talking sarcastic or dishonest “Yes, Dears.”
· A man wants to provide and a boy wants to be taken care of. (This last observation must be accredited to Jessica. I’m pretty sure it’s the most insightful of them all.)

Do you agree?