“Artificial constructs that allow men to talk to each other”

Steve Tuttle:

Women don’t need to manufacture reasons to chat—they just do it in any old setting. Guys need excuses like outings or organized events. Fantasy baseball, hunting camps, and poker games are artificial constructs that allow men to talk to each other. Sure, work stress or prostate issues might happen to come up, but as long as the playing cards keep getting dealt, we can pretend not to be aware of the actual awkward discussion that’s taking place.

…

I hope if this column is good for anything, it offers this solace for the fairer sex: if your man heads out on a bowling or poker night with the guys, be happy. Chances are good he’s not fleeing you and the kids—well, maybe he is a little—but he’s also running toward the conversations he can only have with other men, and he’ll come home the better for it.

From Newsweek, “Drink, Pray, Sing: My Annual Male Pilgrimage”