Monday, November 8, 2010

Communication and Men - I just don't get it

My husband hosted his annual Rally weekend up at the cottage this past weekend. This is a time that all the men who have been friends for a long time go away for two nights, drink beer, play poker and eat. Apparently, these three things are all they do for 48 hours as according to my husband, they don't talk about anything.

Every year, when Brett comes home, I ask him what was discussed. Every year his answer is nothing. No gossip, no tidbits, no insight into their lives. Apparently, nothing of any note gets talked about. How can this be?

When I went away to Blissdom Canada two weeks ago, everything was discussed! From children, to business, to twitter, to sisterhood. Not a topic was left uncovered. How is that women communicate in such a fundamentally different way than men?

I have tried many times to explain to my husband the power of social media and the relationships I have made through twitter and he has yet to understand what I am talking about. When I told him I wanted to create a resource page on the Glow Baby website and connect with other like-minded professional in the infant and child industry, he didn't understand. I tried to explain how connection and discussion and shared experiences were how women connected but it did not sink in.

I guess men bond through drinking, loosing money, bad jokes and gross bodily functions while women share what is in their souls to form the connection. I am thankful that I have found a wonderful group of women both online and offline who I can share my anxieties and joys with and who understand why details like the length and weight of a newborn is important.

One of these days I will send Brett up to his rally weekend with questions for the guys to fill out so I can find out what they have been up to over the past few months. Do you think he'd be embarrassed?