What it Means to Be a Man Today
by David McCalib
(Written circa 2 A.M. Sunday, 12/19/2010)
These are challenging circumstances to focus on this now, in a cold room with a migraine at 2 A.M.; I’d rather be warm under five layers or in a hot tub or gently swinging in a hammock on a tropical Pacific island paradise, but I will do my best to focus on this idea, this task that flashed out of nowhere after I was asked to write something and envisioned writing it.
What does it mean to be a man today? Now is a time of extraordinary metamorphosis! So—to me—it means being infinitely flexible and adaptable, which is what life does as it manifests. Life expresses itself as energized bodies in motion, whether interminably slow or incredibly fast; plants, animals and other kingdoms appear on Earth in myriad forms, and a man matures in a male body amongst humanity that, like a reed in a stream, either bends with currents and floods to survive—maybe thrive—or snaps off and is washed away with all the debris from rigidity.
‘Ain’t no 2 ways about it—we’ve gotta change’; as always, but now more than ever before. Adapt + able = adaptable and if you’re able-bodied or able at something you have to act, sometimes persistently, to accomplish anything. Life adapts and acts and man is able if he lets it do so—lets it go, go, Go; lets it come and go. Resistance impedes the flow as in a cord or plug that doesn’t work and the light bulb doesn’t flash on, though some control is necessary so the bulb doesn’t burn out.
So how is a man able to decide, act and do anything with power and grace, and especially love and warmth, so that he can live well, enjoy life, laugh and celebrate? How can a man not do that?! Other people, the media and society too often tell or show us the opposite. By contrast between light and dark we are aware of, recognize and appreciate myriad shapes and forms, beautiful and ugly. Then we decide what to do with what has been done to us.
My inspiration and guidance, nothing new sparked by a few others, is to let go of all that—the past, and future–as much as possible, and experience the awe and joy, wonder and beauty of each moment, since power and presence are ubiquitous. Only now can you truly enjoy what life brings; only now can you be who you really are and not who or what others have told you to be in so many ways it became a struggle to escape that thought net and be free. Really it’s quite amazing not to be present and act spontaneously. Only fear of pain can keep us from love of bliss.
So let go and Love …
David McCalib – With love of all arts, experience in retail health, essay evaluation and odd jobs, I have done more writing than anything except working and dreaming. After a few articles published in college and many entries in short story contests, now I have several books almost ready for publication. Austin, TX
– is a deeply personal issue that everyone decides for himself. Sometimes the price is high, sometimes low. But this is not very important for life. Life is an interesting thing. And the price on Viagra – too.
