I have a confession to make and please don’t take this the wrong way but…

I like men.  I like all kinds of men.  Young and old.  I like baby males and grown men and anything in between.  Yes there have been a few I haven’t cared for, but mostly I like them

I like my bros, my husband, my father and I adored my grandfathers.  I like my son, son in law and yours too!

I like the men who have noticed me when I have walked by them and the ones who have been clueless and haven’t.  I even like the ones who have whistled at me, and when I have smiled and waved have looked surprised.

I like my new swim buddy who is way faster than I but cheers me on like I’m a champ.

I like my male yoga teachers past and present who seem to know women so well.

I like the southern rep from work who took me out to dinner and got glassy-eyed in the middle of a discussion on his company’s new testing kit when the conversation veered to fishing and hunting.

I like the men I met in Guatemala, the one who was so kind to me at the airport patiently directing me where to go, and the policemen there that I stumbled upon on a hike up a volcano smiling with me in a photo-op while the other one patiently took the picture.

I like the African American man who watched my silly clumsiness one day and reassured me, “You’re good”, as he laughed with me.

I like my sister in law’s father who lives in LA but loves the fall when the leaves are turning.  Who built a treehouse for my nephews and acts like a kid himself.

And to the answer to my colleagues who have said, “I like to work with women” I say why not with men?

Don’t get me wrong I love my Sisters. I am a Sister. My feminism makes me like them all the more.  I like gay and trans men, straight men, and manly men (and manly women too.) I love the flavor of them all.

I like my father and husband’s strength and secureness in their masculinity.  I like that they both want to protect me even though they both know I can protect myself just fine.

I like my male dog (who died recently), especially for his goofy maleness.  His utter dog-ness because he was a male.

I like that men don’t seem to sweat it as much as I do.  That they don’t always get me or it.

I like that they appreciate me and don’t seem to judge me when I flirt and show off.  I like that they are around.  I like it that they don’t seem to take everything so personally. I like that I can sometimes confuse them without even trying. I just really like them.

A shout out to all you men!

I am glad that you are here.