We hear it all the time: a lot of girls like hanging out with boys because it's "less drama" and that is true, but hanging out with boys all the time has its drawbacks. I hang out with the same group of boys every day and usually the only contact I have with girls comes from my one-day-a-week sorority meetings.
One of my biggest problems with my guy friends is that, quite frankly, they're a little gross. I was always told that burping and farting in front of other people was rude, and I don't know if boys aren't taught this same lesson or if they just don't care, but they can't seem to stop letting it all out. It's gotten to the point where I'll be standing or sitting next to one of them and they'll just look at me and say "I'm sorry" and I already know what they're talking about. I never have this problem when I hang out with girls – and no, that's not because girls don't fart – because girls are always told that it's impolite and insensitive to do these things in front of guests.
Another thing I've experienced with my guy-friends is conflict when they get into a relationship. It's pretty off-putting to talk to someone every day until they get a girlfriend and seemingly fall off of the face of the Earth. Don't get me wrong, I understand that girls feel threatened by other girls in situations like this, because I've been there too, but that doesn't make it any less annoying. I totally respect my friends and their relationships, and I promise that I don't want to be your boyfriend's side chick. I've been cheated on and understand that it sucks, so I wouldn't want to put anyone else in that situation. But if you're afraid of your boyfriend's friends taking him away from you, at least try giving them a chance before telling him he can't talk to them. It really sucks to invest time and friendship into someone just to have it taken away by someone else. Having friends that are girls makes things a lot easier in this sense because their significant others usually don't get jealous when GNOs happen. I'm not sure why, but I guess watching chick flicks and crafting all night just isn't threatening to a relationship.
Next, I'm just gonna say it, boys get distracted easily. Whether it's by video games, TV shows, or even just each other, they seem to lose focus a lot. I'll show my friends something and then bring it up again a few days later, and they have no idea what I'm talking about. Usually, if it's something important, I'll ask if they're actually paying attention just to make sure that I got my point across and they understand what I'm saying. When I'm with my girlfriends, even if most of them aren't listening, there's usually at least one who pays attention to what I'm saying and lets me know that I've been acknowledged.
Probably my biggest problem with being friends with boys is that they just don't get me sometimes. They don't really understand my boy problems (and trust me, I have a lot), they don't care to watch the same movies as me, they don't understand why it takes me so long to get ready, etc. While I will admit it's pretty useful to get a boy's perspective about relationship issues, they don't always give the best advice. Boys see themselves as easy to read, even if girls don't, so their advice is always pretty basic and fairly unhelpful. It's often along the lines of, "If you like him, just date him." But they don't seem to understand that it's not that easy. They also don't really get why chick flicks are so important. I can't begin to count how many times I've had this conversation: "I know you all want to watch 'Zombeavers,' but I just really think that 'The Best of Me' is a really good movie..." Lastly, they just can't grasp the concept of makeup and hair. I know it takes a long time, and I'm sorry you have to wait through it, but I really need to perfect my winged eyeliner before we can go anywhere. Girls just get each other when it comes to these things.
All in all, I love all of my friends. When I'm trying to decide what to do every night, I always choose to hang out with my guy friends over anyone else. No matter how much they may annoy me, there's a reason I chose to be friends with them and I still love them a lot. They're always there for me whether I need help with school or having family problems or just need company. They make me laugh when I've had a bad day and let me ugly-cry in front of them when I've lost all hope. I can never tell them how much I appreciate them and honestly wouldn't trade them for the world.
