Backup Boyfriend
Susanne Hiller on her 'backup husband', the euphemism for her close male platonic non-husband friend:
According to the book Emotional Infidelity by Miami Beach psychologist M. Gary Neuman, I am being unfaithful. Neuman says that going out for drinks, doing coffee, sharing secrets or even reviewing weekend plans with an opposite-sex co-worker or friend constitutes a form of adultery; that a close but chaste friendship can fritter away valuable time and energy from your marriage. His theory is that the more male friends a woman has, the worse her marriage will fare. This, even if you think your marriage is solid, healthy and flourishing, and even if you feel that kissing your backup would be like kissing your brother.
That's awesome. And yet girls with boyfriends still wonder why I hold back emotionally when being friends with them. I'm worried what he thinks too. I'm not always comfortable being the backup boyfriend.
