Let's Hang Out

Okay. So lately, I've been teased, and in a way, chastised, for my definition of "hanging out," particularly when it comes to "hanging out" with guys. Many of my female friends think that you can't just "hang out" with a guy without it becoming a date. They automatically assume that just because I spend time with a particular guy, that I'm technically "dating" him.

But I beg to differ. To start off, my definition of hanging out is simple: spending time with a person, be it a guy or a girl, and doing things that both of us enjoy without there being any hint of sexual attraction. Whether it's grabbing dinner together, playing tennis, going rock-climbing, or simply not doing anything but staying in to watch a movie, as long as both parties involved are enjoying each other's company and having fun, that's all that matters. Right?

Now, these situations may or may not involve at least some level of physical/emotional attraction. After all, we are human, and sometimes can't help but develop certain feelings for the other person with whom we spend a lot of our time. In fact, I'll be the first to admit that I'm guilty of that myself. There was one instance, a while back, when I found myself hanging out with a guy on whom I sort of developed a small crush. However when I realized that the feeling wasn't mutual, I quickly got over it, and moved on.

Moreover, I've heard countless stories of friends becoming lovers, and truth be told, the best relationships do blossom out of friendship - there's no arguing against that.

With that said, however, in most situations the feelings tend to be nothing more than platonic, at least that's what I found to be true for me. With that one exception that I mentioned before, rarely have I ever developed any sort of attraction to a guy I've hung out with; but that's partly due to my inability (or unwillingness...) to form emotional attachments to most people.

Anyway, bottom line is this: hanging out is neither a substitute word for "dating" nor is it a prelude to romance. So next time I "hang out" with a guy, please please don't call it a "date." >:)