Some observations about boys and girls

The wild west is decorated with geological formations that attract tourists from far and wide. Some visitors express their admiration for these red rocks and jagged peaks by pulling over on the side of the road and taking photos. Some, like me, will hunt down paths and trails which allow for the dual achievement of physical exercise and sight-seeing (I’m a multi-tasker at heart). Then there are the conquerors. The climbers. The individuals who cannot be satisfied with merely sharing space with large rocks, but instead feel compelled to stand on top of them. Christopher, unfortunately, belongs in this category.

Since I’m the girl and Chris is the boy, I tend to associate this behavior with males. That’s not to say that I haven’t met males that are even more lazy than I, nor does it mean that there aren’t plenty of women out there who exhibit this conqueror’s drive. But generally, I’ve observed that boys – when faced with a defeatable foe, will tend to go ahead and crush it. Even if it means getting all sweaty before a long car ride. Even if it means forcing your girlfriend to wait around at the bottom of some rock formation, getting sunburned and playing out rescue scenarios in her head that almost all involve her having to drag an injured boyfriend a few miles to the nearest ranger station.

Luckily, our trip has not resulted in any major falls or traumatic injuries, and if any happen to occur in the future, I’m the one with first aid training. Plus, all the waiting around at the bottom of rocks has given me ample time to observe local wildlife, work on my tan, and build up leverage to help me win future arguments. Girls and boys may be fundamentally different creatures, but I’m finding that our opposing positions and views (perspectives gained from time spent on top and at the bottom of things, no doubt), do balance each other out in the end.