Say you meet this good Catholic young man at your church.  And he gives you his phone number/email, and asks you to please phone or email him if you are interested.  

So you email him and give him YOUR phone number and email address.

So then you wait.

So...is there this unwritten code of relationship conduct that says men shouldn't get back to the lady right away, but wait a few days or something, to show he isn't "overeager"? I thought I read that somewhere.  I live in the Midwest USA--have any of you, anywhere else, heard of that "rule"?

Thanks....

hahaha I've heard that some guys go by this "rule." *ahem* Some very juvenile and insecure guys, I might add.

These types of guys just don't want to come off as desperate...even if they are. Which is fine if it helps to boost their obvious lack of self-esteem.
   What they don't realize, however, is that if they wait too long, it sends the message to their prospective lover that they aren't really all that interested, or that getting your information may have been just an exercise in playing the field. Once again...very weak in the self-esteem department.  :P

If you want to know what's up with this guy, why don't you contact him? For one, it will be easier on a lazy or insecure guy if the girl he's interested in calls on him first. For two, it will tell him that yes, you are indeed still interested. For three, it will finally put all of the questions that are no doubt floating around in your head at the moment at ease.

It could just be that he's been busy & hasn't had time yet. It could be that he was sucked into the 6th dimensional vortex. The only way to know for sure is to contact him, just to see what's going on.

Oh yes, and if/when you do this, try not to take an accusing tone. "I just wanted to say hey and what's up?" sounds a lot better than "Why haven't you called/e-mailed me yet?" Because then who would sound like the desperate one?  ;)

My boyfriend and I exchanged phone numbers the night that we met. After that, I didn't hear anything from him for a few days...maybe even a week.  :o  :(  :-/
   At first, I thought that he was trying to do exactly as you say: act macho & try not to come off as desperate.
   In reality, he had called the very next day after we met...and pretty much every day thereafter.  ;D
The thing was, we both worked a lot & had very different schedules. Every time he would call my house, I would either be at work or out somewhere. He always told whoever was home at the time to let me know that he had called....but I would never get the message.  :(  :-/
   Eventually, he came to think that I was blowing him off! And yet each time I was home to take the call & talk to him, everything was fine between us. So he was a bit confused, needless to say. lol
   But eventually, everything worked out. We started seeing each other, and those phone calls....turned into the looooong, romantic type that last until way past midnight.  ;)  Long story short, we're together now as we have been for the past year. Nature just has a way of making things happen if they're really meant to be.  ;)

Hope things work out similarly for you & this Catholic Casanova. ;)  Best of luck...and try not to be too nervous!

Angel Spun, thank you for sharing all that...I really am so clueless--in fact I'm afraid of ruining everthing, if in fact God does will for some sort of relationship to blossom...

I think what you mentioned about insecure guys doing that "waiting to call you" thing might be the case with this man.  He seems to be shy---he'll put himself in my path (waiting for me outside the church but not saying anything, planting himself in front of the Holy Water font just as I'm about to bless myself...) and not speak to me.  How was I to know he was interested???  

So thanks again for the advice...I will wait a while longer before--who knows what.  I will try not to be nervous, but I am already a wreck because I think my first email totally turned him off and scared him away.  

Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh---relationships!!!!!!!!!!!
Even POSSIBLE ones!!!  They can just kill a woman.

Yeah--what Angel Spun said!   ;D  
Ditto on the notion that there's nothing wrong with YOU contacting HIM/asking him out first.  Just remember to be yourself.  Because after all--who else could you be?   :)

Men are typically sooo clueless in the area of romance.

In this day and age, I would say it is accepatable for you to make the initial contact.  Even a second contact.  But if you don't hear anything from him after the second attempt, he is probably pre-occupied or not interested, and you should move on.  He may still contact you, but waiting around would no longer be necessary or expected.

Good luck!

Good lord, I haven't been in the dating scene since I'm 14, I wouldn't even know where to start!  I do agree with BB, it's not out of the question for you to make the first move of contacting him.  In fact, if he's that shy it may even relieve him.  ???

I dunno, like I said, I've never been in the dating world as an adult...and I hope I never have to be!

You're very welcome, Christiana. 'Tis no problem at all.

Of course, I can't claim to be anything remotely near an expert on the subject of dating/romance/relationships, etc. But if my experience or observations can help someone, I don't mind sharing them.  ;)

It sounds as if this guy knows what he wants well enough (you), but isn't very clear about how to go after it.
   It may be that he's just very shy and/or inexperienced when it comes to this sort of thing. But that could mean that he might not be mature enough for a relationship just yet. That's an answer that only time can reveal for you. You'll just have to take things in stride and see what happens.

Wait a few days...I'm not going to say exactly how long, because that part is up to you. But give him a few days before calling or e-mailing him to see what's up.

If he mentions that he was offended/freaked out/scared away by your e-mail, apologize. Otherwise, there isn't much that you can do.

Like Trisha said, just be yourself.  ;)

It's been way too long since I was in the dating scene, if it is even called that any more!  But just to encourage you a little, I have been watching my sons -- young men-- really sweet and really clueless, I don't know what I did wrong, but clueless sometimes!  ::)  Gotta love 'em ;)