Like other women with girl friends and an email account, Ireceive written morsels like the following almost every week:

**"**Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the topof the tree. Most men do not want to reach for the good ones because they areafraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they sometimes take the applesfrom the ground, which are not as good, but are easy.

The apples at the top think something is wrong with them,when in reality, they are amazing. They just have to wait for the right personto come along, the one who is brave enough to climb all the way to the top ofthe tree.

Now men…men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, andit is up to women to stomp the shit out of them until they turn into something acceptableto have dinner with.

Share this with all the good apples you know.**"**

So here I am, sharing this with all you good apples, though Ionly kind of agree with parts of it! It's true that the amazing apple-girls at the top too often don't realize how special they are.

Although…I’ve known more than a few men who have braved the climb to the top for the amazing ones, and havefallen and gotten hurt.

And you know that part about stomping the shit out of grape-men? I’m not feelin’ it. Not even a little.

But maybe you are.

Sure. Some gender differences exist, of the biological andsocialized varieties. And the men in our lives -- the ones we care about inparticular -- have an extra special way of baffling and aggravating us.

Then again, individuals we're invested in, of either gender, have an extra special way of getting to us like no one else can.

Like, in my life, when my girl friend sends me a reference to stomping the shit out of grape-men, or makes jokes about all men being big babies, or needing to be "trained." It gets to me.

Probably as much as it gets to her when I disagree.

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What?! You agree with my friend's opinion of men?

Do tell.