The other day I went on a nice walk with a friend of mine. He and I had been trying to get together for dinner, then revised that to coffee, and then settled on a morning walk. He’s big on exercise. I’d like to be.

Let’s pause. Some of you, subconsciously or not, have already thought upon reading this, “This sounds gay.” And that makes sense to me, because for whatever reason, “guys-guys” don’t take walks together. They play sports, they go out and watch sports, they chat at their kids’ events, but they certainly don’t take walks.

But why?

Because walks are not about walking. Walks are about socializing, and talking. The pace is slow; slow enough to get into an in depth conversation. Walking makes people relax, as if they’ve had a drink or two. And of course with a few drinks people talk, and more importantly they reveal.

Some people walk solely for the exercise. But those people usually walk alone. Even the women in those professional walking groups I see charting mileage around town, when asked, would admit the social component is a huge part of why they walk together.

So for most guys, a walk is something to be feared. Even the thought of going on a walk with a buddy is stressful, because walks break down defenses, and they make us be attentive and focused for longer than we’d like. And the easygoing pace makes it possible for the conversation to reach beyond the kids, the weather and the local team, and possibly delve into some “real” stuff. And guys as a whole don’t feel comfortable going down this road. (No pun intended.) Vulnerabilities are exposed. Weaknesses are discovered. And we can’t have our buddy thinking we actually have a chink in our armor. That just doesn’t sit right with us.

So we avoid walks at all costs. And in some cases avoid true friendships.

But as most of you have discovered if you’ve read our posts, THE GUYS belong to a unique subgroup amidst our meat eating brethren. We love conversation, and getting to the real stuff. What’s the point otherwise?

So I’m up for a walk anytime, I just don’t tell everyone this. I have to keep some of my reputation intact. Because if the rest of those OTHER guys hear about it, they’ll start posting signs at all the local sportsbars: No Walkers Allowed!

So we’d like to poll our readers with several questions. We’ll be discussing your answers in an upcoming podcast, as well as here in the comments section.

1. Do you know any guys that take walks together? (Yes, No)

2. Based on the guys you know, would you say they have deep connections with their friends? Choose below.

a) Very deep friendships. They definitely would take walks just to talk.

b) They occasionally talk about their feelings, but mostly about the kids. Conversation is news and sports oriented.

c) They only talk about sports and women.

d) They don’t talk, just grunt occasionally when they’re with a friend.

3. Do guys need friendships as much as women? Or do they value them in the same way?