Growing up, my parents had a pretty large group of friends. Since all of their friends had kids, it was easy for me to make friends as a child. I was born with what some people call "forced friends." Luckily, I actually love all of the friends I'm "forced" to be friends with. It just so happens that all of the kids my age in this group of friends are girls.

My parents put me in the position to always be friends with girls, and I am glad they did. At parties, dinners or any social gathering, I was always hanging out with girls my age. When we all started school, I never played into the typical mindset that "girls had cooties." I gravitated towards the girls more than the boys most of the time. It was just what I was used to doing. For some reason, it was always hard for people to understand. Everyone always assumed I had to have a crush on every single girl I hung out with. It used to frustrate me, but it didn't take long for me to realize that it doesn't matter what people think.

My whole situation actually seemed to work to my advantage. When I started getting older, I never really had a problem talking to girls I actually was interested in. They never really made me nervous because I was already so comfortable talking to them. I had grown up around all of my girl friends and was fully aware of what they liked to do, talk about, etc. Whenever I need advice on how to handle a situation with a girl I'm talking to or dating, my girl friends know exactly how to help me because they have been in that situation. Asking girl advice from girls themselves is the way to go.

The next time someone makes a slick comment about you hanging out with someone of the opposite sex, don't let it get to you. Just know that you are actually the smarter and more mature one! The girls I have surrounded myself with have made me into the person I am today.