Or When Harry Met Sally Did He Really Just Want to Jump Her Bones? Men and women can't really be just friends, can they? Of course not. There’s always that pesky sexual tension to contend with. And what about
spouse, spousal equivalent, or boyfriend/girlfriend who’s sure to be jealous? Plus, there’s
biological/sociological nesting imperative that women contend with and
hunting imperative that seems to drive men.
A number of years ago, a landmark study published by Dr. Don O'Meara, a sociology professor at Raymond Walters College, identified
following four key obstacles to
success of male-female friendships
· The inability to define
relationship
· A fear of confronting feelings of sexual attraction
· The inability of both partners to see each other as equals
· Society’s response to a non-romantic relationship
(This is all of
above rolled into one: What’s going on here? Who do they think they are? They just won’t admit that they’re hot for each other!)
Let’s face it, when you come right down to it – there are just too many impediments and too many inherent differences between
sexes for cross-gender friendship to work. Right?
Wrong, wrong, and double-wrong – at least in today’s world.
Fifty years ago, when Harry met Sally, he was a breadwinner who worked outside
home and she was a stay-at-home mom (or stay-at-home spinster). Harry and Sally had very little in common and very few opportunities to explore their commonality. Their paths never crossed except at a church social, perhaps, or in situations that were specifically created to foster romance and, by extension, procreation and
continuation of
species. (Not
stuff sonnets are made of, perhaps, but good for society.)
That was then. This is now.