Men, beards and a lack of manliness.

There was once a commercial for Dr. Pepper 10, showing a man  with a long beard, catching fish with his bare hands and eating tree bark, among other "manly" tasks.  It proclaimed that Dr. Pepper 10 was the "manliest low calorie soda in the history of mankind".  It was a portrayal of what is commonly thought of as a "manly man". 

The other day, I saw a guy with a long beard, slick hair and the frame of a lumberjack.  He must have been 6' 2'' and about 220 pounds.  Manly, right?  Well, he was wearing a shirt with pink flowers and had a "man purse".  Something wrong with that picture?

Well, that got me to thinking;  "What happened to men?".  Men were, once, men.  Men were the ones who made sure that the family was taken care of.   The ones who worked for a living and were proud of the fact that they were self-reliant.  Men were men.

Well, in today's world, with the outcry from spineless males who refuse to take responsibility for anything, there is, apparently, a new definition of "man".  It seems today that men are encouraged to explore their "feminine side" as if there is something wrong with their "masculine side".  They are told that if they believe in the traditional family model, that it makes them a bigot.  They are told that if someone is offended by their beliefs, that they should change their beliefs to spare the feelings of the offended.  They are told that there should not be a distinction between MEN and WOMEN.
The media, politicians and the so called "Civil rights activists" are blurring the lines between the XY chromosomes and the XX chromosomes.  Men's restroom?  Bigotry. Women's restroom?  Bigotry.  Men's clothing store?  You get what I'm saying...
If God is real, then he creates us as either male or female, without mistake.  If evolution is the correct theory, then we have to trust that nature gets it right.  Otherwise, we wouldn't exist and the dinosaurs would still rule.  Either way, no matter what belief you have, it is foolish to think that someone can be born in the wrong body.  Tell a young girl she's a boy long enough, she will believe it.  Tell a child he's stupid long enough, and he/she will believe it.  There's power in suggestion.  Tell a man that he shouldn't act manly long enough, he will raise boys to be women. 

But, back to my original point.  Today's man has a whole host of obstacles to overcome if he wants to live a life that includes "traditional values". Sure, it is easier to just go with the flow and be "sensitive" and "aware of your feminine side", but it is natural to be a man.  Nature didn't make it easy.  It isn't easy to support a wife and kids.  It isn't easy to settle down and be faithful.  It isn't easy to set an alarm for 6:00 a.m.  But that's what makes us men.   The fact that we do what is not easy, because it is the right thing to do.  Just as our ancestors hunted animals, with sticks and rocks, to feed their family.  Not easy, but the right thing to do.

My hope is that today's man will get past the politically correct mumbo jumbo that oozes from today's society.  That he will quit drinking Caramel Toffee Mocha Lattes and get back to basics. Get back to being fathers.  Get back to being honest.  Get back to being MEN.