And then came Chris 2

 Like breaking the champagne bottle on the side of the ship, let's shove off!

No, that's not right.

Like the gun they fire before a race, let's get moving!

Nah, that sounds like I'm starting a spin class...

Like the awkward handshake on the first date, nice to meet you.

It'll do...

I'm Chris, or as I was referred to during the voting, Chris2.  I'm one of the new guy bloggers here and this is my first post, so let's get something straight right off the bat:

I'm going to give it to you straight.  No B.S.'ing.  Now I may not be a dating expert or guru, but what I have to say may help bridge this weird gap between what men and women say and mean.  I can share what I know and have experienced and what other guys have told me and experienced.  Maybe we can all learn something.  But I have 2 caveats...  

 First, dudes are like snowflakes.  Maybe not light and fluffy, but guys, girls, dogs and falcons are all different.  Although I will speak in generalities, know that at all times, every rule and generality has an exception.  

Second, this isn't as scary as you think.  Believe me, I find women just as confusing as women find men.  The first big lesson is that first one - you can’t “understand men” or for that matter "understand women."  You have to learn to understand the person.  Who they are, where they’ve come from, what they want.  Ladies, all the books and advice and dating columns don’t matter.  Just like for guys, we have to learn that the Pick-Up artist websites and e-books and Esquire magazine articles don't mean anything either.

That stuff works for some people.  But not everyone.  The real discovery is that we shouldn't be so scared.  I know plenty of guys who are just as unsure and hesitant as you are, who’ve been hurt, yet in the end, want a good woman to fall in love with and treat really well for the rest of their lives.

Of course, I also know guys who just want a couple nights of fun, no strings attached.  

The key is finding out who this person is and seeing if you like them.  And if they like you.  In a very simplistic sense, it’s that easy.

But we have this social contract called “Dating.”  There are hoops to jump through, rituals to perform, and a song and dance we must learn.  For that, well, I’m your man.  We’ll start from the verrrry beginning and go through the first few dates and see where that leads us.  As always, drop comments, questions and suggestions for future posts in the comment section.  I will read all of them and respond in some fashion.

One last thought before we kick-start this adventure.  You may not agree with everything I say.  You may not agree with anything I say.  Your brother/guy friend/dad/boss may not agree with what I say.  I hope that's the case, because that'll prove my point that we're all different.

But I can promise you that everything I will say is true, at least for me and guys I know, so even though I love writing fiction, this blog will all be what’s going on out there, from a guy's point-of-view, in that scary jungle we call dating.

Which, trust me, isn't that scary after all.

Until we meet again…

-Chris2