By Melanie Stone

Is it appropriate for the girl to ask the guy on a date, even though it’s customary that it be done the other way around?

-Anonymous

I definitely think I should preface this answer with saying that I am extremely old-fashioned when it comes to the world of relationships and all of their technicalities.

I believe that it is a great for a girl to know what she wants, and to go after that. However, getting a summer job or an A on a physics test sure differs from confronting a guy and asking him on a date. There are things in life that I feel are better suited for the opposite sex to handle, and I think asking someone out on a date is one of those things.

I hardly think that women are incapable of asking men out, or that it’s wrong in anyway. I feel that in most circumstances, it would be fine if a girl asked a guy on a date (my stance has nothing to do with the fact that it’s a woman asking something that has been so quickly associated with men). My point of view, however, deals with men of this generation. Guys today are too often given the easy way out when it comes to most things in life. They grow up being babied by the women in their lives, and they go on to be babied by their girlfriends, who one day baby them so much they are sure they will never meet anyone else like that. Then those women become their wives. Granted, this is not true of every man today, and I know there is a large majority of men out there who work hard to take care of the women in their lives. But then again, if you were talking to one of them, they probably would have asked you out already.

I am going to take a stance here, and I am going to say don’t give the guy an easy way out. It is fine to show him that you are interested; in fact, you probably should (because if you haven’t already, maybe that’s why no date has been mentioned), but do not let him get the satisfaction of not even having to ask. You want the relationship to start off on a good foot; dating is something that has sort of diminished over the years, but is so nice. So let it happen. If it never does work out with the guy you’re crushing on right now, wait for the one who can’t wait to take you out, then you’ll know you’ve found something special.