Depends on her background, geri. If she's just come up from a hard day down the coalmine, hitting her in the face with a spade might be her idea of romance.
That spade thing doesn't work too well. I was only trying to be a real man and it was not appreciated. A smack in the face seemed to lose out over tickling the nape of her neck. You live you learn.
instead of being a donkey with a multiple personality disorder, maybe there might be some scope leaving all excess bagage in the van and just be yourself?
Each girl understands romance in her own way, for one girl it may mean 35 roses each day (just an example), for another it may mean waking with her beloved man every morning up, for another it may mean going to buy food together and so on and so forth....so just be yourself...it is the best and easiest way, I think so:)
IMHO a girl who more or less understands this life needs 1) a reliable supporter 2) a man to communcate with freely 3) a good sex partner and only after this a romantic companion for walks under moon and reading poems.
Better fake being a macho than being a romantic. You can be considered not manly which is dreadful for your reputation.
I would say try and meet them half way. I write poems to my girl and even if they suck she doesnt mind. Try putting yourself in her shoes and instead of using words like think replace them with feel, etc. Tell her you love animals. Try and find out what she is interested in and then meet her half way.
Im going to invent a ray gun that computes wierdo girls into words that men can read and have it downloaded onto a palm pilote listing there personalities traits and every man they have ever slept with, and cant for get there std history....and for no extra charge there is a built in lie detecter that goes of on vibrate when shes fibbing. I.E. .....cik cik....(she perfers chocolate over roses) cik...cik. ( she likes it when you touch her ears )..cik, cik, (she used to be a man) cik.
Give it up, you are absolutely hopeless! Then maybe this forum will be rid of staccato Haiku's you always write her, no substance yaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnn!
I say keep being yourself. Its worked out well for you thus far right? Or instead of pretending to be something you are not you could make a concious effort to be more romantic and maybe a little of it might just stick. But like i said keep being yourself it just leaves more fish in the pool for the rest of us! :)