A few days ago a couple of friends were hanging out in my driveway making a repair on my truck. When I saw this conversation happening I had to capture the picture.
Men need this. Men need to chase after purposeful things with other men. It’s sophisticated recess. But it’s also powerful spirituality. Serving others is a calling. Repairing a truck, building a house, replacing a roof, or digging a hole… these are all examples of things that a man might do in service to others.
Men get satisfaction in doing labor with others and for the sake of others. But there is one component that is needed. A man needs appreciation for his labor.
Men Need Appreciation for Their Work
A good man is willing to be a pack mule for others. If it helps people to have a better life, he will take a bigger load. But there is another component that is needed. A man needs to be able to unplug from the load and have some fun. Not once a year, more like once a week.
A good man will be a pack mule for his wife and kids. But he needs to be loved and respected for the load he carries. If he is not respected he will become a drinking donkey, or a jerk of a jackass.
Men Need Adventure and Respect
This post is not designed to be controversial. As men, we have our shortcomings. And sometimes we don’t know how to nurture the needs of others. (That is for another conversation.)
I am writing this because most men are malnourished and depleted. They want to get up and work hard, but it’s hard to work when your heart is barely beating.
If you wonder why men struggle, don’t look at the bottle in their hand. Oftentimes the bottle is not causing the struggle. The bottle is the result of the struggle.
- Men desperately need appreciation for their work.
- Men desperately need joyful adventure to unplug.
- Men desperately need passionate love and respect from their family.
This article is not about blaming people. It’s about understanding men. Too many great men would love to spend the rest of their days serving people, but they are weary of being alone in the struggle. They become malnourished when they are only called upon to do more work or provide more money.
A man needs a heartfelt thank you… with a coke and a smile.
A man needs friends who call him to go have some fun.
A man needs a wife who treats him like he’s a stallion after a hard day’s work.
Your man would love to be your pack mule. But if you see him as a pack mule, he will become a jackass or a drinking donkey. If you treat your man like he’s a stallion, he will be your pack mule.