| We are not so far removed from the days of | | | | corner of the grill to keep it warm without |
| hunting and gathering, when males where | | | | actually cooking it. And he'll take the same |
| expected to bring home the bacon, or the | | | | responsibility for his date, even if they're perfectly |
| mastodon. Those are deeply-ingrained drives, and | | | | happy with theirs. |
| they show up when a man is on a date. | | | | This isn't simply an "obsessive-compulsive" issue. |
| Typically, a man wants to feel like he is | | | | It's his duty, as he sees it. In many ways, it is |
| commanding the ship as it plows the treacherous | | | | based on a reality that may be veiled by modern |
| seas of restaurants hosts, valet attendants, and | | | | behavioral standards and changing expectations in |
| theater ushers. He wants to feel that he is | | | | relationships. A man is merely living up to that |
| deciding where to be seated, what will be | | | | unspoken code of life that his male ancestors |
| ordered, how long things should take, and | | | | passed on through genes and words: take care of |
| whether or not the evening's fare is up to par, | | | | your family. |
| even if he may not actually be able to control any | | | | So the next time you see a man on a date |
| of these factors. | | | | ordering everyone around like he owned the |
| He'll order a medium-rare steak, and send it back | | | | place, show him a little compassion. His intentions |
| as many times as it takes until it's right, even | | | | are correct, even if his contention may not be. |
| though the chef may just be placing it on the | | | | |