Having met way, WAY many female bloggers in person in the last two weeks between SheSpeaks and the Philly Blogger Meet-up, I noticed at least 25% of them blogged afterward about their insecurities about meeting other women and what they said and what they wore and whether they would ever do it again. That is, attending an event or retreat with so many other women with SO many possible insecure moments.

Having been involved in women's ministries, women's events, women's retreats for the bulk of my life, women don't bother me TOO much (notice I say "too" much). It is the MEN that have made me nervous most of my growing years, but fortunately I am finally working through some of that too.

I don't think the moments of awkwardness when you feel like you have said the wrong thing ever completely go away on either side. But, with men, a lot of times I don't feel like I have anything to say that might interest them or my concerns are on the other side of the map than theirs (which creates a pretty good balance sometimes too . . . but . . .) 

Yes, I am happily married and I love my husband but after a week of being gone from him (at my parents' house), here is a cell phone conversation we had:

Phone rings. Busted. He caught me shopping in Steinmart with my sister-in-law while our kids are getting scolded in the background by some store clerk since we are ignoring them.

"Hey, what color?" Hmmm,  what the heck is he talking about? Okay, I'll play along.

"Red."

"Really?"

"Definitely red, its bold and daring." Oops, he might be talking about the new Harley he wants to buy to "save" on gas. Last time he called to ask me color, he came home with my now aging, gas guzzling black suburban.

"No, black, it won't attract the cops, " I add quickly, changing my mind, still in my own invented conversational track.

"I am talking about shirts. Polos are on sale." Oh, he is shopping too. Haha. Finally the man is talking my language. Woo Hoo!

"Blue or Green to match your eyes."

"Dark or light?"

"Now, you are on your own. I can't see them to make that decision. Have you eaten anything this week?"

"No, I am dieting. I can go whole days without eating until I realize I've eaten nothing."

"Now, dear. . . " His mother won't be too happy with me if she hears this. BUT, if I left anything he wouldn't eat it anyway. Apparently what I did leave is now stinking in the refrigerator according to him.

Well, that was my husband man moment but more INTERESTING perhaps was trying to dialogue with my Southern twin and dad in the hospital room, after my dad's hip replacement surgery. (Yes, he is doing AWESOME! Thanks for asking.) But, let's begin with my brother coming downstairs for coffee before we left the house that morning. Known for his clever comparisons, what can you say to:

"I feel like someone dumped a bucket of ugly on my head and then hit me with a bucket." Now, short of agreeing with him, what can you say to that? And then there was, "I walked through an ugly forest and got hit with all the branches." He loves to push the point. At least he has learned not to apply these comparisons to his twin sister, his wife or his adorable daughter. Too many women against him in this house.

So, we arrive at the hospital room where my dad is alert and asking for his breakfast. Ornery is good. He's a fighter when it comes to his health. I make some innocent comment about the bar with the triangle hanging down above my dad's bed that helps him lift himself.

"You need one of those at home." So, what do two Georgia Tech manufacturing engineers say to that?

"Well, that would be pretty easy actually. All you need is an erector set with a long bar." says my dad, glancing knowingly at my brother as my eyes glaze over.

"We can get one of those aluminum extruders and a power button to lift automatically," chimes my brother drawing out the conversation before focusing on the golf tournament on the mounted high hospital room TV and beginning the on-going dialogue about T*ger Woods and the loss of interest in watching now that the big T. was out for the season.

Now, I am not saying I don't enjoy learning new things. It was incredibly interesting to hear them talk. I just became a fly on the wall thinking that some women would actually relate to this conversation either in engineering or golfing. Now, if they would just talk shopping & kids & chocolate, I might have something to add. I go in search of my dad's breakfast. Food . . . the international language.