In Life

So! An introduction for this piece before I get into it. It may seem a bit weird and not of a typical piece of work that would belong here, but bear with me. I wrote the following post on Facebook about 4 years ago. I'm not entirely sure why I'm sharing this here other than the fact that I find it to be a good bit of my own writing. I saw it in my memories and it provoked many thoughts in me. Thoughts about gender norms and how men are supposed to be seen. They're supposed to be tough, less emotional, and if they want something done they have to do it themselves without any help. They have to be invulnerable. If they ask for help then they are instantly seen as weak and basically not a man at all. We've seen all the typical beliefs and tropes in movies, so I thought that perhaps this work might shed some light and open our eyes to what we do to ourselves as human beings. Of course, in reality, it won't change anything but I hope this is an enjoyable read for you. 👌 Once again, just keep in mind that the following IS just a Facebook post lol 😅

Start post.

Overwhelming doubt. It beats me down. Doubt that this "social update" will be acknowledged as anything more than another useless scrap of meaningless words from an insignificant piece of anothers' life. I get it. Everyone has their own worries and their own lives to live. Which fills myself and this post with a mass of melancholy. I have to ask myself if any of this truly matters. This is but an existential crisis of a 20 some-odd year old who has "so much more to learn"...

"Buck up. Stop 'crying'." "You need to take a good look at yourself and see how good you've got it." "Stop being a pansy." "You're a man, so start acting like one."

I've heard it all before. Great inspirational quotes, thank you. I understand it, I truly do. The ironic "good will" behind those hardened words...pelting me like stones. I've taken it well before. Yet it all still leaves something to be desired. Can you believe that? It's uncanny!

Call it what you will. Fishing for compliments. Being a downright downer. Chronic depression.

I certainly do have ambitions. I do have dreams and goals I wish to achieve. Yet no sight of any of them being within grasp as I have poured myself into them before. I am drained, and have felt so for quite some time. Perhaps it's this 9 to 5 farce that I've been going through that has broken me.

I guess all I'm looking for is some positivity. None of that hardened "Get over yourself" bullshit that I've heard so much before. But a sincere and honest "I hope you succeed"...just that...it would mean a great deal. Know what I mean?

End post.

Looking back at it, maybe I was just being a whiney, depressed little kid. I am almost certain, however, that many people around my age have most likely felt somewhat the same way. I remember what I was feeling when I wrote that post. I felt lost and tired. I felt Like this whole belief that men have to be able to take care of themselves without ever asking for anything is something that I just have to accept. But I also felt hope. Hope that perhaps saying something about it might make me feel a bit better about my situation and maybe people will also speak up about their own.

I have definitely seen some changes in human behavior as time has gone on. People have made many of the same points: Do men really have to be tough, emotionless, and independent? Do women have to be all flowers and dependent on the ones they love? Not that those are all bad things. Hey, if that kind of life is for you, if you are independent or if you see yourself as a mans man or a girly girl, by all means go for it! But I don't believe these are roles that are mutually exclusive to gender.

There's a saying you may have heard: "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."

This is a great quote from the one and only Dr. Seuss with one true belief at its core -- We are all unique human beings and there's nothing wrong with being who you are.

Now there is definitely a lot more here that could be covered, but I figure I'll save that for another one of my excursions in writing. 😉