I-N-T-E-R-E-S-T

We're special sometimes, aren't we? Sometimes we just don't know what we have or don't have in front of us. Even the most obvious of hints may not get through to the other party. This is especially the case when it comes to attraction between the two sexes.

If one person is interested in the other, they're more inclined to taking whatever they hear or see as a sign of interest or attraction toward them. This is especially true of guys, because let's face it, we're the simpler of the two genders. If a guy says hello to a female who's interested in him, she may call a girlfriend of her's and analyze the "hello" for three hours. If a gal is kind to a guy who's interested in her, he won't need to call anyone to analyze the words that were spoken. He'll just jump around for joy, thinking that he's found "the one."

Don't get me wrong, it does occur with both sexes, but I notice the need to have to s-p-e-l-l things out to the male in order to understand that there is or isn't an interest.

Many times, people are just being nice. A guy might be kind to a gal he just met and she may construe that as flirting, when he thought he was just being nice. If a gal is being nice to a guy and doing everything possible to illustrate that she's being nice and nothing more, it still probably won't get through to the guy. Until she says, "P. Diddy, I don't know where you got the idea that I 'liked' you and I'm sorry to say this, but I'm not interested in you. I like you as a friend, sure, but nothing more."

Not too long ago, this happened to me. This gal and I had hung out a couple times. We knew one another through a mutual friend. On both occasions, I felt a connection. We talked for hours and hours. She seemed flirtatious. Even this third party friend of ours told me that this gal was interested in me. So, not long ago, I asked her out, with the expectation that, at worst, she'd say yes, but, again, I was mistaken. She gave me the friend line.

Just a few days ago, a friend of mine talked to me about this guy who was obsessed with her. She just had a conversation on what she could do to get the point across that she didn't like him. She and I went through a few ideas, before I finally said, "I know it's hard, but you have to tell him." She claimed that she shouldn't have to and she's right. She shouldn't have to s-p-e-l-l things out to this guy or any guy, for that matter. But, unfortunately, ladies, you've got to do what you've got to do. I wouldn't have known how that gal felt unless she told me straight up that she just liked me as a friend, which she did.

It's not fun. It's not easy. It shouldn't be necessary. But, unfortunately, if one party is interested and the other is not, a s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g lesson will need to be scheduled and given.