This is probably the only sexist, chauvenistic thing I really do.

Each day, from the moment I leave my house, I begin a count. What do I count? Well, women, of course.

I don't count on the basis of hair color or shape or mode of dress or any single thing in particular. No. I count the whole package. The whole point of The Count is to find as many women, based on a visual account only, that I find physically attractive. It's just the body that I'm thinking about. Not relationship, not conversation, not actual sex, not friendship... just the personal appreciation of beauty, in all its material forms in the female members of our species.

I do this for a variety of reasons, none of them actually wrong in and of themselves. I do it to keep my lack of love life in perspective. As in, "All, right. I've counted 63 women today that I found sexy and I didn't approach a single one of them. That's 63 chances I turned my back on. The reason you're lonely is directly related to the chances you pass up."

Then there's the whole, "What am I looking for?" thing. Intelligence in a woman is a must for a relationship, but there is the physical aspect, too. Call me shallow or vain if you like, but I believe that a physically appealing specimen is just as important as an intellectually engaging one. How do you know someone is smart from the other side of the dancefloor? You don't, unless you're very, very observant. But you can tell whether or not you like what you see and if that is worth following up on. But first, you should have a good idea of what you're looking for, physically, that is.

The Count varies every day, no matter what. It can be done privately or out loud and usually no one will be the wiser. It is not meant to be truly sexist, but rather it is geared for personal information about myself and my personal tastes. I like to know what I want. Women can do it, too, so it isn't exclusive or one-sided. Actually, it was a woman who introduced me to the entire concept. Over the last year I've come to find that the mental image I've always had of "the ideal woman" is not nearly as compatible with what I actually look for. I always thought I liked redheads with long legs. Au contraire! Short brunettes with curvy bodies catch my eye faster than any redhead on any given day. Color me surprised.


Addendum: I no longer "play" The Counting Game. I'm not sure why. Maybe noding it here finally took all the fun out of it. Some games should remain a mystery. I guess.