Man Card...
I am a huge fan of musicals...
There is something about the music, lyrics, acting, dancing, and story line that always have me on the edge of my seat.
Last week my wife and I went to go see the movie Le Misérables. It was outstanding. If you haven't seen it yet I want to encourage you to go as soon as possible. My wife and I both enjoyed the film and yes, I cried about three times while watching the movie.
The next day I shared with my friends as well as some of my students my feelings about the movie and some of them made comments such as: "That movie is for girls, Where's your man card, and that movie was one of the most boring movies ever." (that last statement came from a 17 year old)
While I'd like to consider myself to be pretty tough skinned about stuff like this, their comments had me thinking especially the one about the man card.
So I thought to myself, what is a man card?
What does having a man card give me access to?
But more importantly why is it that when as men choose to get in touch with our emotional sides, brings forth criticism and negative remarks?
I think that the answer to that question is because a lot of men are insecure with themselves and choose to judge others for what they themselves don't understand.
I think that this whole having a man card thing is over rated.
I think that our culture places too much emphasis on being a man.
Now I am not saying that it is not important to be a man, because it is extremely important that we acknowledge the God given gender roles that we were created with, but what I am getting at is how we think that a man should look like and act.
When we think of men with "man cards"we think of the countless men who have used women to get what they want only to throw them out like a cheap garden tool.
I have an issue with that.
I don't think that being a man looks anything like that at all.
Being a man means that you are responsible, caring, loving, supportive, and gentle amongst others things.
It also means that you are not afraid to get in touch with your emotions.
A lot of men that I know are scared to show their emotions because they don't wanna be looked at as soft or weak. I feel for these brothas because the only way to find true strength is by expressing your emotions in a controlled way.
Having good taste and appreciating quality doesn't make you any less of a man. In fact it makes you more of a man. And most importantly no one can take my man card away. It was given to me by Jesus. He is the one who controls all the true man cards.
So my question is this: What does having a man card look like to you?
There is something about the music, lyrics, acting, dancing, and story line that always have me on the edge of my seat.
Last week my wife and I went to go see the movie Le Misérables. It was outstanding. If you haven't seen it yet I want to encourage you to go as soon as possible. My wife and I both enjoyed the film and yes, I cried about three times while watching the movie.
The next day I shared with my friends as well as some of my students my feelings about the movie and some of them made comments such as: "That movie is for girls, Where's your man card, and that movie was one of the most boring movies ever." (that last statement came from a 17 year old)
While I'd like to consider myself to be pretty tough skinned about stuff like this, their comments had me thinking especially the one about the man card.
So I thought to myself, what is a man card?
What does having a man card give me access to?
But more importantly why is it that when as men choose to get in touch with our emotional sides, brings forth criticism and negative remarks?
I think that the answer to that question is because a lot of men are insecure with themselves and choose to judge others for what they themselves don't understand.
I think that this whole having a man card thing is over rated.
I think that our culture places too much emphasis on being a man.
Now I am not saying that it is not important to be a man, because it is extremely important that we acknowledge the God given gender roles that we were created with, but what I am getting at is how we think that a man should look like and act.
When we think of men with "man cards"we think of the countless men who have used women to get what they want only to throw them out like a cheap garden tool.
I have an issue with that.
I don't think that being a man looks anything like that at all.
Being a man means that you are responsible, caring, loving, supportive, and gentle amongst others things.
It also means that you are not afraid to get in touch with your emotions.
A lot of men that I know are scared to show their emotions because they don't wanna be looked at as soft or weak. I feel for these brothas because the only way to find true strength is by expressing your emotions in a controlled way.
Having good taste and appreciating quality doesn't make you any less of a man. In fact it makes you more of a man. And most importantly no one can take my man card away. It was given to me by Jesus. He is the one who controls all the true man cards.
So my question is this: What does having a man card look like to you?
Les Miserables was amazing and I bet that 17-year-old didn't even go see it.
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