I’ve been thinking a bit since reading Courtney’s blog about men being the weaker sex and trying to relate it to the men I am or have been closest too – my husband, son, son-in-law and my father. In each case I can’t see that these guys fit that pattern.
As on example, last Saturday when I was launching GROW – UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS, an anthology of poems and stories for children and young teenagers, I had nothing but support from the men in my life. Mick spent a great deal of time organizing and printing fliers to send out to schools and posters for shop windows. He also thought of posters for the walls on the day of the launch advertising my books.
Along with Mick, my daughter and son-in-law helped in the days leading up to the book launch with shopping, moving furniture in the hall where the launch was to be held, making signs, etc. They came up with ideas and helpful suggestions. I would never have thought of signs to hang on the front fence, advertising the event or signs directing people to the toilets. It was men and women all working together for a common purpose and cheerful as we worked together as a family.
True, in the cutting up process of rocky road my daughter made, they might have nicked the occasional piece but that was a small price to pay, for their help and support.
My son wasn’t here for the weekend as his wife hasn’t been well over a number of weeks. Understandably, he needed to be there to look after her and their little ones. The last launch when ‘Kaleidoscope’ my collection of poetry was published the whole family came, traveling four hours or more to get there.
As for my father, who died when I was a teenager, he was a quiet, gentle man. He was a man not fond of arguments and one always quick to say ‘I’m sorry.’ I’m so thankful for the men in my life and couldn’t see they fitted the pattern.
So I broadened my outlook to friends and guys at church or in the community. Now, I know, I don’t see what these men are like at home, only what I see of them on display in their marriages and their friendships. In some cases I can see where the points made apply. In others I can’t at all.
So, I’m thinking, maybe it depends on the individual. But then I’ve always been a person who doesn’t like generalizations and pigeon holing people, probably because I don’t like to be pigeonholed. I always argued with Mick about theories presented when he did psychology as part of a course. But that’s a whole other story.
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