A Good Man Is Hard to Find

I have a friend visiting from San Fran. Julie (names have been changed to protect the innocent) is in her late twenties, attractive, successful and smart. Lately, she's felt frustrated because she's still single. According to her, finding a good man nowadays is almost impossible.

I have to admit, I'm surprised. Surely, there are good men out there? I don't know what the population statistics are, but I doubt very much if women outnumber men. Besides, what's considered a good man anyway? Julie says she'd like a man without 1) any substance abuse problem 2) emotional baggage (yeah, right) and third and most important of all, will be faithful to her. Oh, and it doesn't hurt if he's got a full head of hair and is gorgeous to boot. My other girlfriend, Chris, in her infinite sarcastic wisdom, snorted and said good luck.

So if you're a single woman, where do you find men? In a bar? Nah. Too much of a meat market atmosphere. Besides, meeting a man while under the influence of alcohol is never good. Gee, he looked gorgeous the last time I saw him. LOL. Wrong. Girlfriend, it was the damn margarita that made him look so good. What about the workplace? Possible. But if you're higher up than he is, that could be grounds for sexual harrassment. Blind date? *shudder* Matchmakers? No way. Friends and relatives have been known to find every weirdo in town. Me? I met my hubby in the parking lot of a mall (of all places) after my then boyfriend stood me up! Looking back, I'm glad ex-boyfriend didn't show. Otherwise, my hubby probably never would've asked for my phone number.
Julie's honest enough to admit what her problem is.She's hoping to find a man much like the heroes in romance books. You know, an alpha male who is strong, confident and has unbelievable sexual prowess. Gawd. I mean really, does a man like that exist? If she ever finds somebody like that, she should hide him from the rest of the female population.

So do you think that romance readers tend to look for the kind of men that can only be found between the pages of a romance book? You've read about the mysterious, leather jacket-wearing"bad" boys who don't have a care in the world. Reality check. That man riding that crotch rocket with all the tattooes? Do you think he'll still look sexy three, four years from now when he refuses to give up his motorcycle for a minivan? What about the gazillionaire who can't find a woman who isn't after his money? Or who needs a nanny to take care of his orphaned neice or nephew? (Hey, I read series books, too!) Rich guys aren't really into nannies, unless they're Jude Law. Romance book heroes, once they realize they're in love, show a willingness to commit, know how to say sorry, and most important of all, will stop to ask for directions, if necessary. I'm not saying they don't exist in real life. Just very rare. If you've got a man like that, hold on tight and don't let go. *g* Reality is much different. Men leave socks (and clothes) on the floor, hate doing dishes, won't ask for directions and spend way too much time watching football on tv. I will never forget one of hubby's famous lines-- "I don't know what you're thinking unless you tell me. I'm not psychic. There are times when I will forget to tell you I love you and I don't always want to "communicate". I'm just a regular man!"

Aww, honey. Even if you've driven me to the brink of insanity sometimes, I wouldn't exchange you for all the romance heroes in the world. As for Julie, I told her to keep looking. She'll find her man. He may not look like Hugh Jackman. He may not have perfect abs, tight ass, and chiseled looks but the perfect man for her is out there. It's just a matter of time.