Don't punish me, I didn't do it!

You know, I'm bound to do dumb, wrong or stupid things in my life. And when I do, I take ownership of those dumb, wrong or stupid things. After all, those dumb, wrong or stupid things might be the only things I do right. But it doesn't matter whether I do dumb, wrong or stupid things, just don't blame me or punish me for something someone else did that was dumb, wrong or stupid.

I've experienced something like that recently with someone on my friends list on Xbox Live (and Facebook). At least he was on my friends list until recently. Now he's not and I'm being punished for something I didn't do.

The short version is his wife's jealous and doesn't want her husband to have any contact with single females on Xbox Live or Facebook. The long version is one of his female friends said some things to him that his wife found out about and now he's banned from single members of the fairer sex.

Do I think that's fair? No. Do I think he did anything to encourage or warrant this behavior from the harlot in question? No. He's a good guy and I would never think he'd do or encourage anything like that. But his wife does. So when I pulled up my friends list and found this guy wasn't there I thought I might have done something to piss him off. When I went to Facebook to ask how I could make amends, he wasn't on that list either. I eventually got to play with him through a mutual friend and we talked and I found out why he had to drop me.

So even though this guy is a great guy and I have no interest in him whatsoever, other than to play games with a great guy who doesn't go all ape-shit on me because I'm a girl playing video games, I'm now banned from playing with him because of what some strumpet said to him. And yes, I know who that was. And yes, I told him I have no interest in him except as noted above.

I know we have stereotypes of guys who play video games. They're loners who still live in their parents basements and haven't ever touched a girl let alone gone out with one. And probably haven't graduated high school (or if in college they never attend classes). But I guess there's stereotypes for those females gamers out there. We're all harlots, whore and strumpets. Apparently we're all out to steal women's husbands who play video games.

Yes, there are douche bags and losers out there. And harlots and whores. But we're not all like that. I've had some pretty bad relationships with men in the past and I was beginning to think that all men were scumbags. But after meeting the guys on my friends list (and weeding out the bad ones) I started to have faith in the male species again. Does that mean I want to ravage their bodies and do things to them that would make the devil blush? No (with a few possible exceptions [wink wink]). And it doesn't mean I'll get all crazy psycho on them either . . . unless they want that.

But that's the thing. I have different boundaries with different guys. Some I know I can tease and flirt with and know nothing will ever happen. While with others I keep our friendship more along the lines of a fellow gamer, platonic type of relationship. I might have crossed the line a couple of times in something I've said, but I always count on my guy friends to say "whoa there Pengwenn" and put me in my place. And I don't mind it if they do. Once that line is drawn in the sand, I won't cross it. Just let me know where it is and I'm happy to dance around naked from the other side. [Just kidding.]

We're all adults here (at least on my friends list) so I don't think this would be a problem. If you don't want me to get all freaky on ya, then tell me. If you do . . . I'm sure we can work something out. [wink wink] But please, don't punish me for something I didn't do. And wives, if you can't trust your husband, trust me. Punish me for the things that I actually do. And if the punishment is losing the chance to play with a good friend I'll make sure you never have to punish me at all. That's my line in the sand. Trust me.