[1]
Essayist Jane O’Reilly discussing the proper 1960 etiquette in When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present [2] by Gail Collins:
The one absolutely unbreakable rule, guiding and controlling all contacts with the opposite sex, was never call a man.
Here it is 2010, yet some things never change. Out of all the straight men in my circle, I know of only one who likes when a woman initiates a date (and Miguel, I love you for that!) Others pay lip service to it, but they don’t honestly view it as appealing. I’m naturally proactive, finding it much easier to act than wait for someone else to, which has been a boon to my career, but not to my dating life. After years of testing the theory (sometimes painfully so) I’ve ultimately decided that sitting on my hands, and not bolting to make the call, gives me a lot more information (like, are they really into me.) Yes, I’ve adapted my instincts. But please don’t misunderstand. This is NOT a rule. Just a strategy.