I've got a long night ahead, and all the talk on here has stirred the thought pot. So, I thought I'd share sundry old observations, ones that were too small or brief to really merit entire threads of their own, but which were significant enough to remain in the back of my mind. Some older ones first.

1. This happened senior year of high school. I don't even remember the girl's name, but she sat next to me for a while. She was on the tall side, thin, with reddish brown hair and grey eyes. It was in health class. She was always pretty quiet and had a gloomy air about her. Some assignment that the teacher gave must have struck a nerve, because her head dropped and she looked down at the floor, her face tight with emotional pain. I remember her lips drawn back, thin and clenched, but I don't know if I would call them curled. Her mouth was about all I could see of her face under her drooping bangs. The teacher came over to consult with her and they whispered a few things back and forth which I couldn't make out. The most significant thing I remember was how her eyes were hidden from my view, but I saw one single clear tear drop from its inseen source and land on her thigh where it made a tiny dark wet spot on her blue jeans. She and the teacher apparently came to an agreement because he walked away and she composed herself, having cried exactly one tear.

2. At the end of eighth grade, I did eventually get a chance to comfort my friend Patricia, who I mentioned in another thread. I was walking down a hall after classes when I spotted her on top of a staircase, talking to someone with her eyes wet. We made eye contact and I kept walking out the front door, where I sat on a stone step to wait for her. Another friend happened by (also a girl) and she sat near me. When Patricia came out, we asked her what was wrong and she came over to sit between us. Long story short, personal and home issues had gotten to her and the two of us shared a comforting moment, with me on her right and the other girl on her left, both holding her. She never got to full sobbing, but there were lots of running tears and sniffles. I don't remember her crying face being very expressive, but the whole time her voice was choked with sorrow, high-pitched, raspy and cracking, and I loved how it sounded. Definitely one of the better cry-talkers I've heard. Once she felt a little better, we all walked down the road and got ice cream cones at a local drive-in snack joint.

3. Another one senior year of high school, very short but memorable. On the way out one day, I walked past a girl who was crying to her friends for some reason. She had her lips pursed out and was crying out a long, mournful wail, like "Oooohhhhhhhh...." with tears running down her cheeks. She turned and hid her face behind a book, going silent for a few seconds, then took one gasp. I remember her wearing a high cut shirt that exposed her belly button, and that I got to see it puff out with air when she gasped. Very beautiful.

And some more recent observations.

4. A close friend of mine had a beloved relative pass away. She was quite despondent over it, and asked if she could spend the night at my place, because she would feel better if I was there for her. We got into bed, and she began talking as I cuddled her. An interesting thing happened then. She told me that she needed to cry but was finding it difficult because my arms felt too secure and comforting. Like she was too relaxed and at ease. I asked her what to do and she told me to leave her be a while until she could get the tears out. So I did, and after about ten minutes she rolled over to face me with wet eyes and clinged to me, crying much harder. I tucked her head into my shoulder. Her cry is interesting. It's quiet but forceful, and rarely rhythmic, but with ragged sobs and gasps coming at uneven intervals, sometimes louder, sometimes softer. Her lip curls a good deal, but her tears don't flow as much as some I've seen. Her belly flutters in a sexy way, and she tends to nuzzle her head deep into me, almost affectionately, and she responds well if I gently massage her scalp. After she had cried out, we slept together (as in literally platonic sleeping together).

5. I visited a friend a few weeks ago, to have a night of movies, snacks and beer. She was feeling depressed over having hit a minor career setback. In the middle of talking, she suddenly choked up and covered her face. It was very interesting how quickly it came over her. I pulled her close for q hug and she buried her face into my upper chest. It was a very short crying spell. Barely lasted twenty seconds, but I remember feeling the wetness of her tears on my shirt. She didn't sob, but gasped once, in a quick flutter of breath that had three rapid pulses, like "huhhuhhuh," and I felt her belly inflate against me in three quick hitches to match her breath. It passed as quickly as it came and she felt much better for the rest of the night.

6. One male one. Just for variety. I'm not attracted to men crying, but I thought some people may find it interesting. A a good friend of mine was telling me about a letter he had recently gotten from an old Lieutenant in the Army, wishing him and his family well since his service. As he spoke to me, his voice suddenly trembled and became a strangled whisper, and he turned his face away. When he looked back, his eyes were full of tears. He has a very deep set of eyes and tears tend to collect in them rather than run. He had something of a thousand yard stare in them too. He's a rather private man about grief, so I didn't press the point but gave him a pat on the back as he composed himself, and reminded him of the high opinion that I have of him.