BOTH
Pete Duel and Ben Murphy--two of the most handsome and talented
young bachelors in Hollywood--agree that the next best thing
to being with a girl is daydreaming about her. What girl? What
is she like? Just who is the mysterious dream girl in each of
their lives? Meet her now...
"My dream girl came into my life," Pete says as he flashes a broad smile, "around the time I began thinking of girls as being pretty instead of pests. Of course, over the years she's taken on a different image--no more pigtails or bobby sox. But her inner beauty still remains unchanged."
The truth is that Pete's dream girl is fashioned from all those qualities he's admired in the many girls he's met and dated during the course of his life. For example, since he's always been a true nature lover, meeting a girl who also enjoyed the simple pleasures of life automatically added another important trait to his dream girl's personality.
"When I think about settling down," Pete points out, "it's with a girl who loves jumping into a camper-truck, heading for the woods and pitching a pup tent right in the middle of nowhere. I dig roughing it and a girl who complains about the cold or the mosquitos just doesn't make it with me."
Since Pete has a deep appreciation and respect for nature, it's not surprising to find he's quite active in the ecology movement. And his special girl is with him all the way in his fight against pollution. She's not the type who's afraid of committing herself to a good cause.
"I wouldn't want to spend my life with someone who's just content to sit back and complain about the dirty water, the unclean air and all the injustices in this world. That's the easy way out."
Actually, there's a time and a place for everything. And the time for sitting back and taking it easy in Pete's world is in the evening hours, after a hard day of work at the studio. He likes to unwind by settling down in a comfortable chair with a good book or by listening to music. That's why his ideal girl is sort of a homebody, too.
"I guess it seems strange to some people that I enjoy my quiet evenings at home just as much as they enjoy their nights on the town," he admits, "but I refuse to become part of the jet set scene for anyone."
Pete may refuse to become a jet-setter, but he has no objections about being a "zoo keeper." Animals are another big love in his life and he has his own pet menagerie--an Australian sheep dog named Shoshone, a poodle named Champagne and a mutt called Carroll. Obviously, the girl of his dreams has to share his enthusiasm, not only for dogs, but for all the creatures of the woods.
"After all," Pete adds with a grin, "there's no telling what animal might need my help on one of my camping trips. I've nursed my share of sick and hurt animals back to health."
Besides taking care of stray pets, Pete's girl is also expected to provide him with plenty of encouragement in all his undertakings and endeavors. Since Pete puts his heart and soul into everything he does, there's no place for jealousy or possessiveness in his life. His girl understands and admires his devotion without feeling that she has to be the only thing or person he's concerned with. Of course, one look at his smile tells her that she is.
Without a doubt, Ben's a special kind of guy which is why he needs a special kind of girl. For one thing, he's very good looking. Does that mean his dream girl is as beautiful as he is handsome?
"I'd describe my dream girl as beautiful," Ben says with a smile, "but I don't know if anyone else would. There's a lot of truth in the saying 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder.' I believe physical appearance isn't the most important thing."
Like most guys, Ben realizes that certain qualities--like a nice disposition and a positive outlook on life--are more important than a beautiful figure or a flawless complexion. Because he's an easy--going type of person, his special girl has to accept him for himself and not try to change his ways. And naturally, his ideal girl also has an endless amount of patience and understanding because she realizes that as soon as he wants to do something, he's off and running.
"A sense of freedom is very important to me," Ben says seriously. "I think I'd really resent it if someone I trusted and loved tried to make me conform to a mold they wanted me to fit into."
The love of Ben's life has to be a pioneer at heart, too. Sometimes at the end of a week that's been filled with more than the usual amount of tensions and pressures, he loves to rush home, throw a few things together in a suitcase, jump into his acqua-blue convertible and head for parts unknown. His dream girl has to be able to keep up with his fast-moving ways.
"I know I'm very impulsive," Ben points out, "but my girl thinks that's an asset, not a fault. Nothing beats those spur-of-the-moment decisions and trips. Although some people might feel that's a disorganized way to live, it's certainly worked for me."
In addition to being an adventurer, Ben's also a hard worker who's always setting goals and challenges for himself. For one thing, he has two college degrees--one in international relations and the other in theater arts. To top it all off, he's even taking graduate courses in physical education. Obviously, his dream girl is expected to understand and encourage his thirst for knowledge, and not think it's some kind of ego trip.
"Nothing pleases me more," Ben adds with a gleam in his eye, "than talking to a girl who's genuinely interested in and aware of the world around her. Of course, I don't expect her to be turned on by everything I dig. After all, I want the love of my life to have a mind of her own."
Besides having a natural curiosity about people, places and things, another common bond between Ben and his ideal girl is the attitude that experience is usually the best teacher. Since Ben isn't afraid to try his luck at something new or different, he expects his girl to do the same...sample a few of his favorite health food dishes, for instance, if she's not already a health food fan. Since he's a firm believer in the saying you are what you eat," he, like his organic diet, can best be described as interesting, exciting and unique.
Could you "put up with" a guy
like that? Or like Pete, for that matter? If so, maybe you're
their dream girl. And what a nice dream that would be!
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