What does it mean to be a man?
A man is an indefatigable creature who doesn’t give in to the pressure of life no matter how absurd, taxing, or dire it is.
I used to be less than a man. I used to be a joke. I used to be fat, lazy, and stupid. I used to be indolent. And still people tolerated me because I was large, tall, and imposing.
In fact, my wife used to point that out to me. I didn’t believe that. And then a part of me believed her but resented her for it.
And then when I slowly picked myself up by the bootstraps and started building the Body of a man, the Ethos, the Pathos, and the Eros, all started to return to me like the Ghost was being put back into my very own Frankenstein.
I started to realize the meaning and nature and role of a Man.
A Man must be ready to Face the Elements, All of them, All the time.
By this definition, the only one, I am now starting to feel, and more importantly act, like a man.
The strangest thing occurred to me while I was punching the boxing bag tonight. It occurred to me that I no longer fear or hate change. I’m no longer anxious or apprehensive about it.
And for the first time ever, I welcome life’s challenges. I don’t cherish them all, at least not the bad ones. But I do expect them as the normal fare of a Man. It comes with the Territory.
A Man is supposed to take it all on his broad shoulders and still keep a happy disposition, help his family and friends, support his neighbours and coworkers, etc., etc., etc.
Being a Man is about shouting at Life “Do your worst!” and facing it when it comes at you.
Cowards cower under their beds, while brave men go into the Fight Ready to Die.
Men only die once. Cowards die many times over.
A Man is supposed to be tougher than nails, ready for everything, all the time: from war to peace, from keeping the peace within the household to protecting it by his hard work, diligence, and self-sacrifice from all perils, foreign and domestic.
Manhood is about Manliness. Manhood is about manning up and acting like one. It is not about doing a poor impression of a Woman.
Being a Man is being a Yin to a Woman’s Yang.
Götterdämmerung 