Have a male friend, and the relationship has changed a bit, grown in the past year, which has led to the realization/understanding that men can be as nervous as women about connecting with others and letting their true selves be seen.
He always seemed so strong to me, now I see how vulnerable he is, when he shut me out, I thought he didn't care, or that I'd screwed up again, now I realize I may have misjudged him, and not understood that he trusts me and just . . . wow. I never knew.
A grounding experience.