Wednesday, November 14, 2007
The Men We Carry in Our Minds
Pondering the ideal man, I automatically look at my father. My relationship with him has not been so great. He tried to make me a man, but thankful a counselor informed me that I had the wrong perceptions of what a man is. My dad tried to get me to do things that I didn't enjoy doing, like hunting, fishing, and the like. He made me feel like I was less than a man or a girl because I did not want to participate in these activites. My counselor has helped me notice my activeness in searching for male relationship that I did not have with my father. From listening to my counselor and evaluating the decisions I have made, I come to see the importance of a father figure in leading his son to manhood. It is also important not to give the son false ideas about what it means to be a man. I'm pretty sure that Adam was a man, before the Fall, and he didn't hunt nor fish.
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3 comments:
This essay is exactly why it is such an awful insult to judge another. Whether male or female, every person on earth has had a life experience that I haven't, and if I have, it differs in some way from everyone else's.
While reading this essay, I felt the urge to fight for woman power or something ridiculous like that. I'd like to say, "Fine buddy, you'd choose the baby only because you didn't have to birth it!" The truth is, however, that I haven't birthed a child either, so I cannot speak from experience. I would then only be defending what I have heard and not what I know to be true. The point is, we should not judge our neighbor. Period. We have no idea as to why people do the things that they do unless they tell us. In my short life I have found that my perceptions that I form about people I have had little conversation with are typically wrong. Maybe we should learn to accept one another on the grounds that we have all been through hard circumstances. What can I say? Life is tough.
Elijah,
I often ponder the ideal man myself! My father was not a good role model, my grandfathers were all gone, the best role models I had were teachers. My husband consistently disappointed me. Now, I just pray for the man God has for me. Sorry that your dad did not see your true value and take the time to know you and your likes/dislikes. As long as he is still around, maybe you can talk to him about it and heal your relationship.
Liz,
Judging is a bad thing, but we all tend to do it. I feel judged in some situations on campus. I am old enough to be practically everyone's mother. Some students take advantage of that, and we form great relationships. Others don't. Either way, I am just another college student working to better myself to achieve God's plan for my life.
Birthing children is an experience that all have differently. The end result is a miracle that you cannot help but love!
Life is tough! Accepting and acknowledging that at a young age will/can help to make you a better person.
Jody
I, like Elijah, could not help but thinking of my father while reading this essay. He and I have a rocky relationship at best. My father, who has no sons, wanted to bond with me and make me do guy things, but instead ended up being abusive to my spirit. This and several very unhealthy relationships with boyfriends has made me very skeptical of men overall. Am I looking for the "ideal" man to come in and fix all of these negative conotations in my life? No, I want to heal me and then worry about what else life has to bring.
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