mikeandtim

Book Prologue

I decided I would go ahead and post part of the book I am writing on the blog. Tell me what you think!

How To Be A Man In Texas- Prologue

I will go ahead and clarify that this book is not solely intended for residents of
the State of Texas, or The Nation of Texas (depending on your understanding of what Texas’ true nature is) but is instead intended for all who feel it applies to them. Namely, these would be men in America, and those who want to see them reach their potential in all that they do. I need to address a few points to clearly set up what I am about to write and why I am writing it.

The first is thinking and thought. When asked the question of whom the great thinkers of the world are, many different names may come to mind. I think of Aristotle and Plato, Kant and Locke, Jefferson and Madison, Einstein and Galileo, Augustine and Calvin, Leary and Carlin. If you’re not familiar with the last two, perhaps looking into the market of intensely abrasive comedians would help. If you’re not familiar with the first ten, stop reading this book right now and go find out which ones you don’t know. Seriously. Why are you still reading?

Some of the names I mentioned may be some of the same you were thinking of, as these men have had their thoughts and ideas published, read, considered, scrutinized, and generally evaluated in every way possible. Whether you regard many of the world’s great thinkers as bone-headed or brilliant, the bottom line is that they contemplated life, processed their interaction with it, and used their abilities to try to find answers to some of the more difficult questions in human existence.

Where have these men gone? While Denis Leary and George Carlin are still living, they are comedians. Their impact is significant in entertainment, but trivial elsewhere. Is anyone thinking out there? Most women reading this book right now are probably thinking to themselves that being a “non-thinker” is completely inapplicable to them. And most women would be right. (Sorry, I am still single as I write this and there are still women out there who do not contemplate life beyond whether they can afford a $300 pair of shoes or a $500 purse with their next paycheck.) However, women have done much to advance their place in society over the last 100 years, and generally still work harder than men to achieve an equivalent position in business or government.

This book was written because I have found myself in a relative no-man’s land. (No pun intended) The Non-Thinking Male is the status quo. Homer Simpson is the ultimate American male icon of our time. The problem is, no one cares because no one seems to know how to even begin trying to be “manly” in our postmodern society! In fact “manliness” has gone from desirable trait to direct chauvinistic association to punchline in the last 50 years. It may have been said many times, but apathy is our ultimate foe in the battle for growth and progress and there is widespread apathy in the pursuit of becoming a man. I think it is important now that I define a few terms that I am going to use extensively in writing this book.

1) A Man- n., one who recognizes and invests in his inherent masculine characteristics, to provide protection and stability to those he interacts with. This is accomplished through being an example of high ethical standards, humility, grace, courage, unselfishness, and consistency in all parts of life. A Man has inherent flaws, but uses his ability to think to identify these flaws and work to rectify them for the entirety of his life. A True Man realizes that he cannot accomplish this on his own, but that he is also ultimately responsible for his actions, and he should always act in a way that most benefits the growth and development of those around him, thinking of himself last. It should be noted that becoming a man is a continually active process, without a certain beginning and with death being its end.

2) A Male- adj., one who is born with the masculine attributes and make-up of a man. His development into a man is based upon whether or not he has enough vision to recognize how to live unselfishly and yet confidently in any situation by using the gifts given to him.

3) A Boy- n., a male who is discovering how to be a man. If he is of sound mind and body, the change from boy to man should begin to occur during adolescence for a male, and he should move toward independence toward his late teens and early 20’s. Independence is the primary indicator in the progression from Boy to Man. Treatment of women is the secondary indicator. It should be noted that many boys never become men, but all men were once boys and keep this period as a reference point for beneficial access throughout the continuance of life.

4) Good and Bad- adjs. opposing concepts that establish whether something is inherently beneficial or detrimental to the world at large. Men use their conscience to determine Good from Bad.

5) Masculine- adj., the attributes of a male that distinguish him from the female. Being true to one’s self, being honest and straightforward, having the confidence to make a decision and then deal with the consequences. Often portrayed as a negative, true masculinity is always good.

6) Texas- n. The largest state in the contiguous U.S. The only state to have once been an independent nation. A state where many men have lived. The place in the world that the author of How To Be A Man In Texas knows best. My home.

7) How To Be A Man In Texas- n. A book inspired by the men in the author’s life, his love for his country, his love for his state, his desire to see Men feel strong and free to be themselves in modern society, and his desire to bring recognition to God’s amazing creations.

As if all of those things don’t make me sound like an idiot, I am 27 years old, hardly have any money, have no children or family of my own, and carry an abysmal dating record. My qualifications being evident… let’s discuss being men…….

posted by mikeandtim @ 12:15:00 AM