High arrogance; Low self-esteem
Several years ago I attended a men’s weekend encounter that was one of the most transformational experiences of my life. In 48 hours I learned more about me and about men than I would have thought possible. One of the takeaways was five simple life principles that help define and guide the transition from immaturity to maturity. They are the recognition that: Life is difficult. You are not in control. You are not that important. You are going to die. Your life is not about you. Even though each of these statements is true, immature,...
read moreRules for Dads of Daughters
“There are three things, no four,” Solomon wrote, that were so amazing to him he could not begin to understand them. The last was “the way of a man with a young woman.” (Prov. 30:19) I agree, but right after that I would put, “the way of a dad with a daughter.” There is something mystical about the relationship forged between girls and their dads. Together they bring a mix of tenderness, trust, joy, adventure, respect, hope, strength and love. Just typing those words makes me smile. One of the greatest...
read moreIt Takes a Hero
Our hearts and minds reel in stunned disbelief at the images and stories still streaming from the horrific bombing at the Boston Marathon. We simply weren’t built to process this kind of random, awful violence. Yet, these events always bring stirring stories of heroics by both trained professionals who leap into action, and seemingly average citizens who become unsuspecting national heroes. Those who are trained to respond reflexively to danger inspire us. We saw them not only in Boston, but also in West, Texas, where at virtually the same...
read moreOnce Upon a Time…
Just about any father of a daughter looks toward her wedding day with mixed emotions. Joy, relief, poignancy, heartache. There is no greater gift a man can give to another man than when a father entrusts his daughter to his son-in-law. I only had one daughter to give away in marriage, Barclay. On that day, June 10th 2000, I knew that I was officially no longer the most important man in her life. Truth be told, that transition had been gradually happening ever since she met Vince, her super-hero. I was fortunate and honored to be able to...
read moreOut of Africa
Burundi has the most devastating poverty I’ve ever seen. Broadly considered the world’s poorest nation, it’s the worst poverty anyone has ever seen. The average Burundian lives on $6/week Percentage of population living in poverty is 69% As of 2010 the number of mobile phone users/100 people is 0 Number of people owning personal computers/100 is 0 Users of the internet/100 is 2 Average life expectancy is 49 years 80% of the population is illiterate or under-educated by global standards. Of the remaining 20%, half are...
read moreGift Happens
I probably should have been a Boy Scout. I wasn’t, but I think I would have fit comfortably in line with their motto: Be Prepared. By nature I’ve never liked entering situations where I don’t know what to expect. I prefer to do my best to know in advance, who the audience is, what the expectations are, and what the possible problems are that might interfere with a successful accomplishment. Prepare, anticipate the problems and work to bring about a positive outcome. In many circumstances that’s a wise approach. In others it’s...
read moreA Strong Woman; Some Weak Men
Kathleen Parker, the highly-regarded syndicated columnist with the Washington Post, has long been one of my favorite editorial writers. She just moved into first place. She’s politically sharp, verbally eloquent, intellectually open-minded, obviously feminine, and a staunch proponent of men acting like men. She is refreshingly straight-forward in her lack of patience for political nonsense coming from either wing. With this recent article, Combat Women and Congress’ Wimps, Parker once again demonstrates her gifted insight and...
read moreWhen We Encounter Accusations
“Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, ‘My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.’ At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.Then Paul said to him, ‘God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!’” Acts 23:1-3 Speak courageously Follow your convictions Some will resent you Leave vengeance with God
read moreCloser Encounters
Steven Spielberg, one of the most highly-acclaimed film producers of our times, has undergone a metamorphosis in is treatment of fathers in his movies. In older films the dads are absent (E.T.) or quirky/bizarre (Close Encounters); over time the fathers have a more affirmative impact (the later Indiana Jones films) or are shown as the builders of an important family legacy (the closing scene of Saving Private Ryan). This revealing 60 Minutes interview tells the story behind the progression from absent or antagonistic fathers, to supportive and...
read moreFailure to Launch
Perhaps you saw my comment last week on the Men Matter Facebook site in which I quoted radio commentator, Dennis Prager, who said, in reference to the horrific massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School: “The most important thing any society can accomplish is to build good men.” Since then I notice a predictable extreme of opinions as to the solutions to these kinds of shootings in the US: those who believe eliminating firearms will solve these problems, and those who believe providing more firearms will solve these problems. Either...
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