I love my teaching job for moments like these:
Last week I had to pull an 8th grade boy aside to address his ‘cocky’ bullying. It became quickly apparent that his version of “a man” was arrogant hyper-testosterone peacocking. Where or how he learned it didn’t matter. What did matter was the chip on his shoulder.
I shared with him a lesson I learned when I was about his age about “being a man.” It was taught to me by a REAL man who had it taught to him…
Tearing down people’s lives, maiming them, or even taking life is easy and over-glorified; it requires about as much “manhood” as a gorilla picking up a stick or rock. But helping put lives back together or literally saving them takes an immeasurable amount of manhood. There is no comparison!
[Boy], if you must “stand out,” then stand out with and for the ones who can’t. Choose the harder higher road, not the easiest, and then you’ll understand what it is to be a real man.
Some great examples of “Real Men”…
(paragraph break)
This work by Professor Taboo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://professortaboo.wordpress.com.
The Professor's Convatorium 
Yes.
LikeLike
So Jess, I take it you agree? 😉
LikeLike
Affirmative.
LikeLike
I love this! I recently saw a screening of Miss Representation (the compliment to ‘The Mask you Wear’ and will soon be attending a screening of the mask. 🙂
Anyway, I love what you wrote, “Tearing down people’s lives, maiming them, or even taking life is easy and over-glorified; it requires about as much “manhood” as a gorilla picking up a stick or rock. But helping put lives back together or literally saving them takes an immeasurable amount of manhood. There is no comparison!”
Well-said, my friend and what a gift that you get to be an example of that to your students. 🙂
Much love,
Lindsey
LikeLike
Mmmm, thank you Lindsey. Coming from such a gentle giving engaging soul as yours, I’m very flattered and grateful for those words! And thank you for stopping by in your busy life! The love is mutual. 😉
LikeLike
He is lucky to have you as a positive role model.
LikeLike