I'm so glad you have visited my blog. If you have, chances are you are interested in the subject of "Manhood", as am I.
Being a man means different things to different cultures. I have my own opinions, as I'm sure others do. But what I aim to do with this blog is to give examples and guidance to those who are unsure of the direction to take in their lives. Those males without a masculine role-model, those males who are growing up without direction and those males who simply are looking to enrich their lives may find this blog enlightening.
Who am I to say what is manly, or what it takes to be a man?
Well plain and simple, with honesty, I am on a journey myself to find out. You can simply follow me and learn the lessons I learn, you can see the things that I see, and grow to understand, with me, the answers to many problems that the world faces today.
"What problems?", you may ask?
As time passes, a boy needs masculine guidance throughout his life. Even until his death, a man is looking for inspiration, motivation, and the desire to fulfill his right or wrong perception of what a man should be. More boys are being born into single-mother families. More fathers are concentrating on making a living or hustling for money and maintaining their "rep" or "respect", rather than teaching their son how to save money, shave, tie a necktie, or play baseball. Consequently, boys are growing up without coping skills, rationale, or honor. I feel, looking at the world today, there is a lack of male role-models that inspire manliness. In fact, boys these days are growing into young men watching Scarface, 50 cent, Jersey Shore, and others telling them what it means to be an "alpha male". These examples are all wrong for different reasons. I will delve into entertainment culture in future postings. The government is regulating the most private sector of all; how to raise a child. Many parents are afraid to discipline their kids because of government retribution. Boys are therefore unfocused and disrespectful. This is a controversial subject of future postings. Children are suing their parents, parents are not being present, responsible, or accountable, and the whole system is not only degrading, it is abruptly shutting down in every established, recognized country. These problems are not overabundant in tribal societies. Why? They have maintained their standards and customs, not being influenced my mass marketing or cultural and political agendas. Being a man is a matter of opinion, yes, but where are the defined, universal bullet-points that speak to trans-cultural, trans-generational manliness? Where are the "10 commandments" of being a man?
Growing up I had a father that did his best to keep the family fed, sheltered and safe. He did a damn good job. He provided tough love, but we knew we were loved. He had seven children and was the disciplinarian. It was another time, yes, when dual parents and single income households were not uncommon. I learned the many things I think are expected of a true man. I learned things from my friends, yes. I also learned about dishonor, disrespect, and irresponsibility. But the moral values taught to me by my parents, the love of reading, and my many childish and/or misguided mistakes guided me to develop certain qualities that I think boys are growing up without today.
I have my own opinions of what qualities a man should have. Perhaps you agree. Some of you wont. The point of this blog is to learn, discuss, and grow towards improvement. We ALL need to be better men. I encourage your CONSTRUCTIVE arguments. We aim to improve the men of the world, for the betterment of mankind.
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