K
Kit Sullivan
Guest
And by "real men", I don't mean some macho, tough-guy "bad ass" thing.
I'm talking about guys that act like mature, responsible men of integrity instead of childish, selfish children full of BS attitudes.
Sometimes I am disgusted that my 27 year old son who is severely autistic (emotional/ mental age: 4) is more responsible and more of a "man" than some of the dipshit employees I have to deal with.
Telling a grown man of 40 years old (or so) that he is required to bathe or brush his disgusting teeth before he comes to work is just ridiculous, or having another one of them not show up for work for SEVEN consecutive scheduled work days (over a 10 day period), and then want to know whay they aren't on the schedule is mind-boggling.
As I was growing up my dad always told me his annoying "a real man always..." platitudes, but I typically learned to ignore them because my dad was for all intents and purposes a rael piece of S--T in the general sense.
A drunken, abusive, raging alcoholic who was a world-class wife beater, my dad was not anything that anyone would coinsider a "role model".
And not a simple slap to my mom every once in a while...but a true "Ike Turner"-style beat-down at least a couple nights a week.
So, I didn't respect my dad a lot, but as i got older I could see the demons raging in him, and then he was gone.
The surprising thing is that now,well into my fifties, I find myself preaching and beliving the "real man" sayings he used to say to me all those years ago. And I say them because i belive them.
Even a bad man has some good in them, i suppose.
On random occasions, as appropriate to the situation he would say things like:
"You know son, a real man..."
Endures hardships without complaint.
Treats all women like ladies. (especially contradictory coming from him)
Doesn't make excuses.
Says more by talking less.
Takes pride in his work.
Has a job, period.
Does not make commitmnents lightly
...and...
Honors commitments.
Does not tolerate cowards. (He was a Marine, as he never let anyone forget)
Tough but fair...today.
Faces challenges immediatly and head-on.
Has nothing of greater value than his word or his handshake.
And he was fond of repeating this little three-parter quite often: "Live your life with three basic rules":
If it isn't true, don't say it,
if it isn't yours, don't take it
and if it isn't right, don't do it.
So, somehow...someway...my not-so-wonderful dad managed to pass onto me some basic ideals that I find myself agreeing to now more than ever.
In my life I have (finally) basically just condesnsed it all down to one basic rule for myself:
"Above All Else, Do The Right Thing"
Why is today's world so filled up with so many "men" who are more like whiny little snot-nosed brats?
I'm talking about guys that act like mature, responsible men of integrity instead of childish, selfish children full of BS attitudes.
Sometimes I am disgusted that my 27 year old son who is severely autistic (emotional/ mental age: 4) is more responsible and more of a "man" than some of the dipshit employees I have to deal with.
Telling a grown man of 40 years old (or so) that he is required to bathe or brush his disgusting teeth before he comes to work is just ridiculous, or having another one of them not show up for work for SEVEN consecutive scheduled work days (over a 10 day period), and then want to know whay they aren't on the schedule is mind-boggling.
As I was growing up my dad always told me his annoying "a real man always..." platitudes, but I typically learned to ignore them because my dad was for all intents and purposes a rael piece of S--T in the general sense.
A drunken, abusive, raging alcoholic who was a world-class wife beater, my dad was not anything that anyone would coinsider a "role model".
And not a simple slap to my mom every once in a while...but a true "Ike Turner"-style beat-down at least a couple nights a week.
So, I didn't respect my dad a lot, but as i got older I could see the demons raging in him, and then he was gone.
The surprising thing is that now,well into my fifties, I find myself preaching and beliving the "real man" sayings he used to say to me all those years ago. And I say them because i belive them.
Even a bad man has some good in them, i suppose.
On random occasions, as appropriate to the situation he would say things like:
"You know son, a real man..."
Endures hardships without complaint.
Treats all women like ladies. (especially contradictory coming from him)
Doesn't make excuses.
Says more by talking less.
Takes pride in his work.
Has a job, period.
Does not make commitmnents lightly
...and...
Honors commitments.
Does not tolerate cowards. (He was a Marine, as he never let anyone forget)
Tough but fair...today.
Faces challenges immediatly and head-on.
Has nothing of greater value than his word or his handshake.
And he was fond of repeating this little three-parter quite often: "Live your life with three basic rules":
If it isn't true, don't say it,
if it isn't yours, don't take it
and if it isn't right, don't do it.
So, somehow...someway...my not-so-wonderful dad managed to pass onto me some basic ideals that I find myself agreeing to now more than ever.
In my life I have (finally) basically just condesnsed it all down to one basic rule for myself:
"Above All Else, Do The Right Thing"
Why is today's world so filled up with so many "men" who are more like whiny little snot-nosed brats?