WE HAVE BECOME A NATION OF WOMEN

Last night I tuned in to Josh Allem's program on Blog Talk Radio. About midway into his show, Josh read from a post written by blogger Cassy Fiano. I was working on another task at that moment. But what Josh was sharing made me drop what I was doing and take notice.

It was spot on. I clicked to the site and and began reading "A Shortage of Real Men".

As these things often do, one post leads you to another. Fiano says she was inspired when she read this essay by blogger Kim du Toit who in frustration, banged it out in a flurry of keystrokes. du Toit wrote about real men. Who they are, what they are and are not. And how they are becoming rarer in these times.

Fiano's post responds:

Real men understand honor, loyalty, camaraderie, duty, valour. They understand the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, and will stand up when needed to simply because it is what's right. They won't care about what the rest of the world thinks about it, because they know they're doing the right thing. Real men are honest, respectful, and loving, but that doesn't mean they aren't a little rough around the edges. They're respectful, and I'd be willing to bet don't want a doormat for a wife or girlfriend -- a strong man will want a strong woman who can understand him.

There's a reason men like Clint Eastwood and John Wayne have timeless appeal with men and women alike. It's because they're real men, men who do tough work, who get sweaty and dirty, who stand up for what's right, who can be menacing and hard, but kind and loving at the same time. They aren't ashamed of being men, most importantly.

We need more men in this country. I have a good feeling you could find a lot of these men in the military, and that's probably why so many women are attracted to the man-in-uniform bit. Soldiers, firefighters, police officers -- that the uniform is sexy is not because of the clothes. It's because of what that uniform represents, and what it signifies to us.

du Toit's piece is a powerful view on what ails us as a society. Why we can't seem to get it together in our relationships. Why men and women are confused about their roles, about each other. We have become a nation of women, thanks to the feminist movement, a social construct that represented "change"...

Reading further, I discovered Mrs. du Toit's response to husband Kim's piece. Pure gold.

Read all three posts. They will make you think. I guarantee it. Real men. I loved every word.

To my female readers -- read these, print them and put them where you will be reminded on a regular basis. Take the message to heart , incorporate it , and use it to make whatever changes needed in your attitude. It's what a real woman would do.

Previous posts:

More Real Men
Real Men, You Know Who You Are
More on Real Men

*****