Manhood

Did you catch the manhood themes during the Superbowl commercials? One poor guy had his spine removed by his girlfriend as she dragged him along on a shopping trip and prevented him from watching the game. Another gentleman, completely neutered by culture, rehearsed the tame answers he’d give tomorrow. In a mind-numbing display of passivity, he would obey everyone in a robotic manner. But he would make his last stand in terms of what car he’d drive.

As culture chronicles the disappearance of the alpha male, we get even more distinctive opportunities to help boys become men. Consider the multiple obstacles that an adolescent boy experiences in one day- a twenty four hour period of time that continually confronts him with, ‘do I have what it takes?’

The discerning parent works this two ways. First, we help clarify the dreaded challenge. Why does this type of situation tend to threaten men? Secondly, we help them face it with bite-sized risks.

When a girl uses facebook to hammer a guy’s reputation, what is the real issue at stake and how might the guy step into small, risk-taking adventures?