I attended a storytelling event this weekend modeled after “The Moth.” Unfortunately, I wasn't called to perform my story. But I did get to hear some pretty interesting and funny personal accounts of “New Beginnings.”
But one thing I definitely noted is that women like to talk about dating and relationships. A lot. Not all, but a good portion of the stories told by women involved romantic relationships – avoiding them or funny things that happen because of them. And I enjoyed those stories.
On the other hand, I don’t think a single man told a story where the focal point revolved around a romantic relationship (this could be a selective memory problem on my part, though). One man did mention that he had broken off a long relationship, but that wasn't the heart of the story. The stories told by men were more about funny events – dressing up as a bunny for the Presidential Easter Egg Roll, getting 3 speeding tickets in the course of four hours, etc. And I enjoyed those stories, too.
As I reflected on this discrepancy, I started thinking about the perceived and maybe unperceived differences between men and women. Last year the viral video “Why men and women can't be friends?” sparked a lot of debate. If you missed it:
I think that men and women probably have some of the same underlying thoughts and ideas, but just express or experience them from varying perspectives. I have yet to understand how the generally taller sex (it's better that I describe men in this way rather than uglier, right?) think and express themselves, but I know that life is more interesting because we’re so different.
