Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...

During one of our occasional reminiscing sessions, my best friend and I recalled our rowdy male classmates in 8th grade. She rolled her eyes as she recounted their rambunctious ways, throwing chalk at each other with much gusto even if they knew they'd be reprimanded by the teacher minutes later. "And I hate the way they sweat so much!" she added. I laughed with giddy amusement as she went on. "Basta pagbalik sa classroom after recess nung grade 4 o 5, grabe..."

It was funny to think back to such days, but those memories remind me of one thing that is beyond doubt -- that boys and girls are different. And I'm grateful for those differences.

Here are two articles that illustrate and explore those unique tendencies (that some of those natural tendencies may be shared by both sexes sometimes, or that some undesirable traits can and ought to be uprooted, are not really emphasized here).

Post-Mother’s Day Musings 5/17/2006
By Janice Shaw Crouse

Love, sex, marriage and motherhood ...

A woman’s touch, her smile or the light in her eyes can make an Alan-Alda type feel like Arnold Schwarzenegger; or make the Bruce Willis types realize there are better things in life than brawling and bragging.

The phenomenon is summarized with the humorous definition of “woman” –– “a creature who is either making a fool out of a man, or making a man out of a fool.” We’ve all seen it happen: that process that turns a testosterone-driven “boy” into a civilized, mature “man.”

Full article at Beverly LaHaye Institute

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The trouble with how boys talk

Mt. Lebanon's list seen as product of 'just say anything' culture

Sunday, April 30, 2006

By Mackenzie Carpenter, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It may be just boys being boys. Then again, it may be something newer, rawer, more unsettling.

The crudely sexual "Top 25" list of girls at Mt. Lebanon High School certainly reflects the way teenage boys have talked about girls in locker rooms for generations. The list isn't much different from the commonplace "slam books" that mock students for their looks or behavior.

But numerous experts on teens, gender issues and sexuality believe the Mt. Lebanon list is a sign of a more recent phenomenon: a "just say anything" culture that normalizes the trash talk of Howard Stern and "South Park," crossed with the language of ESPN and sports talk radio.

Full article at Pittsburgh Post-Gazette