Thursday, December 15, 2011

MEMO TO MEN: The curse of nice guys

TO: Men all over the planet
FROM: Amanda
RE: Women love nice guys. Really.
DATE: December 15, 2011

Whether she admits it or not, boys, every girl goes through a bad boy phase. It's just something that inevitably happens, much like teenage acne and the birds and the bees talk in junior high. It's almost as if it's become a rite of passage -- a time-honored tradition that gives you a taste of the dark, wild side. It happened to me in my sophomore English class when I fell for a senior who was on his third or fourth time of taking the class and was being held back from graduation; gosh, I'd never thought underachievement could get any sexier. It also happened a few years later in when I fell for a college boy with his own apartment. Boy, were my parents upset with me on that one.

And so it's during this time that we shun you, nice guys of the world. We avoid you like the plague because to us, you represent everything we don't want: Safety, comfort and stability. We want wild and crazy. We want excitement and sheer unpredictability. We want reckless abandon. We want all of these -- even if it's only from afar.

It's sort of sad when you think about it, isn't it? Nice guys don't get enough credit. Maybe I feel for these nice guys because I know what it's like. I'm the nice girl, a sash I now wear proudly as if I've just won the Miss America pageant . When did it become such a bad thing to just be nice? Why is it so horrible to want to make someone else feel special?

Because you know something? The charm and allure of those living-on-the-wild-side wise guys eventually fades into, well, nothingness. All that safety, comfort and security? Those are suddenly the very things you find yourself craving; they're almost impossible to live without. And it's in that moment that we realize it's time nice guys finish first. Because while bad boys will sneak into you bedroom at night, nice guys will bring you hot chicken soup during the day when you're sick. Because while bad boys will do everything to avoid meeting your parents, a nice guy will walk into dinner with a firm handshake, eye contact and a smile. Because while bad boys don't want to grow up or see a need to even look into the future, nice guys do and are. Because while bad boys might be good sprinters, nice guys are in the marathon for the long haul.

You can count on one thing, boys; I'll be waiting at that finish line for you.

2 comments:

Morgan said...

Yes. Give us nice guys a chance.

HenryO'Higgins said...

Amanda, you are a great writer. One of my best friends even though you might not know it and we dont see each other as much anymore. I was having a bad night last night , but while i was hanging out with you and the other people it really took my mind off things. I hope I can have a nice girl like you as a friend forever, and eventually meet a nice girl of my own. :)