Along those lines...

Let me tell you a story that kind of goes along with the post immediately preceding this one.

One night, my girls and I were out at the bar, and some skeezy drunk guy who had at least 15 years on the oldest of us (and just because I know they'd want the clarification, yes, that would be me) just would not leave us alone. A few of our larger friends of the male variety - who also happen to be regulars at said bar, one of whom eventually went on to be a bouncer there - were at the bar as well, and one of them came over and asked if we wanted him to "take care of it." We politely declined, but I thought it was sweet. But when we were all talking about it later, one of my girls admitted to being insulted, thinking it was an assumption that we "needed a big, strong man to save us." I defended our big, strong man friend by trying to convince my girl that that wasn't it at all. Some men just have a protective streak, he was being chivalrous and protective and looking out for some women in his life that he cares about, but she just wasn't havin' it. He was being sexist, that was her story and she was sticking to it.

It got me thinking... even if you are an independent woman, even if you can take care of yourself, what the hell is so wrong with allowing a friend to be just that? A friend. Making sure his friends are okay. And even though I told the story in man/woman terms (because that's what it ultimately became when I was trying to defend him), why does it automatically have to be sexist? Why couldn't it just be a friend looking out for another friend?

Heck, I have a protective streak myself.

And I still think it was sweet.