And if anyone wants to go for the record, there it is, waiting to be broken. I have two very dear male friends who I talk to often, e-mail often, and they have visited my home. I know this is a rare thing, but with the right intentions, it can be accomplished. Mr. Blue Garrison Keillor's column appears every Tuesday in Salon Books. Ask Mr. Blue.
Women are upset.
He can fend for himself. Even in friendship, women evaluate men as protectors. Hurting should realize the man was treating her as he might a male friend. For now he's vanished, but he might turn up in six months, ready to resume the friendship. If she wants to have male friends, she should make sure she is independent enough to not depend on them.