Have to admit that in my heart of hearts, I'm a complete and total Southern "girlie-girl." I like having my nails done, wearing make-up and fancy clothes, and enjoying all the "frou frou" of accessories that come with being a prissy female. (Picture Scarlet O'Hara as the belle of the ball at Tara.) I'm not sure if it was a learned behavior or something innate from birth, but there's no denying my princess status.

That being said, I do have to function in the real world where I am ultimately not the center of the universe. Because of this, I have an appreciation for the balance of my life due to the extreme masculinity of my husband. (Picture Tim Taylor on a testosterone-induced chest-beating frenzy on Home Improvement.)

In God's infinite wisdom, we came together like Yin and Yang, leveling each other out to provide a perfect example of opposites attracting. One thing I have noticed as I attempt to analyze how we work as husband and wife is that both of us represent the typical attributes of others in our specific genders.

Like me, most women I know love to shop. Call it a weakness or a gift, it's just a fact of life. Shopping brings me an incredible amount of pleasure. In contrast, what I could say about my husband's passion for fishing is equally true: I've met very few men who didn't enjoy wetting a line on a regular basis.

Since I consider women to be the more balanced gender, I can also add (thankfully), that many of us enjoy the sport of fishing as well. The difference is that with women, it's not usually quite the obsession I've encountered it to be with the male species. As a result of my unscientific research on the subject, I have developed a set of key rationalizations to help decipher which of these two activities is actually more sensible in the long run. No matter which side of the fence you find yourself, these could make valuable fuel for justifying your point.

1. You can do it regardless of the weather.
2. You don't have to endure the stench of fish guts, menhaden oil, and exhaust fumes.
3. Having an unsuccessful day shopping doesn't cost you anything, and you don't have to lie about it.
4. There's no governmentally imposed "limit" on shopping (unless you count the credit limit on your charge card).
5. Shopping requires a lot less preparation and gear to get ready.
6. I've never heard of anyone getting seasick while shopping.
7. There's no clearance sale on grouper.
8. You don't have to know how to use a GPS to find a hot bargain.
9. You seldom come home from a shopping trip with first-degree sunburn.
10. It's not illegal to exchange a small size for a larger one.

1. Reeling in those hefty fish can count, in some cases, as aerobic exercise.
2. You don't have to worry about whether the fish you catch match your shoes (handbag, belt, blouse, etc.)
3. Parking spots are a little easier to come by out in the water.
4. A cooler full of fish makes you a hero to friends and family, but a closet full of clothes just makes you "Imelda Marcos."
5. You can catch just as many fish whether you gain or lose weight and you look good in pictures regardless.
6. Nothing beats a beautiful sunset/sunrise on the water!
7. When fishing, it is considered a good thing to have a bigger size.
8. It is socially acceptable (and usually expected of you) to drink a beer while fishing.
9. It's okay if you are fishing for a red grouper and actually catch a gag. Not so if you are shopping for that special red dress.
10. Trolling on the water has a MUCH better connotation than "trolling" at the mall.

Like women at the accessory counter in the local department store, fishermen glean an extraordinary amount of pleasure from going to the tackle store.

Besides the fact they get to fish AND shop, I wondered, is it possible that buying all of those annoying little lures is as fun as buying earrings?

Interestingly enough, as I formulated a distinct delineation between shopping and fishing, I also came to the realization that the two activities have much more in common than one would ever expect... suggesting, perhaps, that we all be a little more tolerant of the passions of our significant others.

1. Size really does matter and some days, everything you come across is too small or too big.
2. The journey is as much fun, if not more so, than the end result.
3. It's always better with friends.
4. No matter what, it's better than a day at work.
5. It's a skill you can pass along to your children.
6. Nothing beats the rush of bringing in that one-of-a-kind keeper.
7. One day's events can fuel many future discussions among friends.
8. Both activities feed the primitive need for hunting and gathering.
9. The outrageous expense of both activities should quell most ensuing arguments.
10. No matter where you go, there is almost always a place to wet a line, and, likewise, there is almost always a place to swipe a card!

Tight lines and happy bargain hunting!