You always have the best advice! I am legitimately super thankful for it.

Honestly, all my advice comes from me screwing up numerous times, lol. I learned things the hard way and if I can save anyone some of the hassle I went through to earn that knowledge, then I am happy to share it! Besides, it is true, women love self confidence. The real trick though, is to keep that self confidence from seeming like arrogance. My wife, she was a stone cold hawtie when we got married. She still is, but not in the same way. Having 2 kids and getting older does take a toll on a person's body afterall. She was attracted to me because of my self confidence, the fact that when any of my family called me at work or in front of others, I had no issues with telling them I loved them before hanging up, I was good with kids, and I was funny (I still am, just not to her). I am a nerd. I play D&D. I got to Renaissance festivals, I watch anime, I watch cartoons, I love super hero movies and shows, I am into cult horror movies, I have been a ghost hunter, I read books like crazy, I love trains, I am into classic cars, I love Farscape & Firefly, I love steampunk, etc. I own that shit and to hell with anyone who laughs at me for it, it is truly their loss! Being who you are and loving that person, that is what matters. Being a gentleman matters. Caring about others and trying to see all sides of an issue matters. Girls don't always appreciate those things, but women do. So even if you are not out to hook up with those girls, if they are fun, you still want them to come back to your table. Make them feel comfortable and if one of your friends gets out of line, give him gentle reminder to relax, you want these ladies to return and game with ya'll, so dial it back. Don't embarrass him though, just ask him to help you get something real quick and give him a nudge in the right, gentlemanly direction!

The art of being a gentleman is, unfortunately, on the decline. I guess thats one thing I've got going for me. I was always taught to be one. I can't really put it into words how thankful I am for the advice. I gotta say it made me tear up a little bit, it feels great to have hope.

You have a lot more than that going for you, it is just that you have been told and taught to view those other things in a negative light, maybe not directly, but through media and how the world treats those who are not "normal". The jocks & the preps used to pick on my friends & I. I got tired of it and stood up for my friends. Then my friends started treating me like shit because I was a thug like the jocks were. "We do not use our fists, we use our minds to defeat them!” Not going to lie, it hurt like hell. Not only had I stood up for my friends and prevented them from being hurt, but I was hurt in the fights. Then my friends turned on me for it, I was crushed. They were so afraid of being counted as unpopular, that they insulted the dude who stepped up for them. I made a lot of new friends who saw what happened, even some of the cool kids. I am not good in big social gatherings, so I would sit in the corner and watch/listen. What I found was, the coolest people were the ones who were happy with who they are. People gravitated to them. I started being honest and owning my social awkwardness and people respected that. They would hang with me in smaller numbers and I would come alive. I would go to parties with them and they would keep me in a small group until I was ready to venture out. Sadly, I needed liquid courage for that. Those folks I called friends and stood up for? None of them ever found popularity. No matter how much they changed, kissed ass, etc. They blame me, think that because I got popular (I never thought I was, but they did), I sabotaged them. How do I know? I ran into one of them a few years back when I went home to visit my folks. He told me all about how I was this huge piece of shit for ruining his life. I listened to him, then when he was done, I asked him if he had worried over that all these years. I told him that honestly, after they insulted me for sticking up for them, I let it go and found my happiness and never even thought about them beyond occasionally wishing they were there for something they would have enjoyed. I was pushed around, I was bullied. I was called the son of satan, told I was gay so much I even started to question myself. It did a lot of bad to me, but it also helped me stand up for myself and others. It showed me what was important in this life. Life is too short to pretend to like things to be cool. Being who you are is cool and anyone that doesn't see that, they are threatened by your inner peace because they lack the stones to be who they are.

Thanks man, you really do have the best advice. I guess I've kinda been doing this. I enjoy being the DM, the star wars fan, the gamer, the nerd and the guy that will sing bad moon rising at a party. I really don't think I can thank you enough.

Yeah you can. Be happy with who you are and one day, pass that knowledge on to anyone who needs it, even when they ignore it, you still try with the next person.

[quote]and ask them to forgive you if you seem stiff[/quote] > ; )))