This hits. For me, the raised daughter-son, my father and every male I grew up next to. We are a military family. Oh the military. I feel it has its own level of responsibility in creating this paradigm where the Tater Tots of the world thrive over the compassionate male who gets beat up and called a “pussy.”
The boys need help. The girls do too but the little men of this world are drowning in machismo with nowhere and no one to turn to. Or they’re just taught not to. Fear of shame.
At the end of the day, growing up in a specific environment may have the biggest influence on whether or not some boy shoots up a school or becomes a pimp or just a privileged Ivy League rapist.
Or is it all a choice?
Can boys choose compassion over competition and “winning?”
Thank you, PP! Yeah, the military is all about that, I'd imagine, since it's centered around war. I agree, they're in part responsible, alongside colonization and all that s---. You pose great questions. Can they make that choice? I guess it's a privilege to make that choice. I'm reading a memoir about a Black man growing up poor in Philly and he did not have that choice. Got beat up every day because he acted too "gay," because he was more soft and gentle and nonviolent. It's a really hard real, but it's really good. Won lots of awards. We're reading it for our Memoiring book club, if you're interested! SINK, by Joseph Earl Johnson.
I absolutely want to read this book!!! Philly is one of my towns and I bet I can connect with him on that level of soft sensitivity that had to harden for survival. Thank you for the recommendation 🙏🏽💜🍑
This hits. For me, the raised daughter-son, my father and every male I grew up next to. We are a military family. Oh the military. I feel it has its own level of responsibility in creating this paradigm where the Tater Tots of the world thrive over the compassionate male who gets beat up and called a “pussy.”
The boys need help. The girls do too but the little men of this world are drowning in machismo with nowhere and no one to turn to. Or they’re just taught not to. Fear of shame.
At the end of the day, growing up in a specific environment may have the biggest influence on whether or not some boy shoots up a school or becomes a pimp or just a privileged Ivy League rapist.
Or is it all a choice?
Can boys choose compassion over competition and “winning?”
Damnit Summer you got me thinking again 🤓
Thank you for your work that moves us so 🙏🏽💜🍑
Thank you, PP! Yeah, the military is all about that, I'd imagine, since it's centered around war. I agree, they're in part responsible, alongside colonization and all that s---. You pose great questions. Can they make that choice? I guess it's a privilege to make that choice. I'm reading a memoir about a Black man growing up poor in Philly and he did not have that choice. Got beat up every day because he acted too "gay," because he was more soft and gentle and nonviolent. It's a really hard real, but it's really good. Won lots of awards. We're reading it for our Memoiring book club, if you're interested! SINK, by Joseph Earl Johnson.
I absolutely want to read this book!!! Philly is one of my towns and I bet I can connect with him on that level of soft sensitivity that had to harden for survival. Thank you for the recommendation 🙏🏽💜🍑
And in case you’re interested in joining the Memoiring bookclub, it’s free and open to anyone who reads memoir. We’re zooming with the author tomorrow! https://open.substack.com/pub/memoiring?r=1hkuyf&utm_medium=ios
This is awesome thank you for the invite!! I’ll check it out if I’m not pushing out this 9# baby 🤣
Oh man, then you are going to love this book. Well, love and be shattered. It’s heartbreaking 💔