Where Have All The Good Men Gone?

I am a country music fan, well...not so much today's mainstream country music. I'm more of an old school country fan and one of my favorite artists is Buddy Brown, a self-made old school, real country music artist. I won't get into how Buddy made himself but if you haven't listened to Buddy, you need to go and download his music. It is unbelievably refreshing to hear his music. His songs are real country and his voice is genuine tradition. If you like Americana and fun music, you'll like Buddy. In fact, his new album is being released at midnight and I plan on buying when the clock strikes the witching hour. 

There are a lot of reasons why I like Buddy Brown but above all is his "grit" and "realness". As cop, you can read a room pretty good. You can tell who is fake and who is genuine. Buddy is what he is. Not many people are today. Anyway, I digress. A couple of weeks ago, Buddy posted a video on his social media about manhood and men being afraid to be men and how it will effect his boys. Oh boy, did it strike a cord with me. 

I've been dreaming about writing novels forever but raising three kids in today's world and working hard to make ends meet always seemed to push the writing aside. Then, I walked into a small local bookstore and wandered over to the teen/young adult section. Its that genre that I always wanted to be a part of. I looked at the shelves. My eyes ran over every book in that section. I couldn't believe what I saw. Every single book was written by a female author and had a female protagonist. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with those books. Nothing at all. But boys read too!

We live in world right now where being a male is looked at as "bad" for some strange reason and today's boys and men aren't men. They don't know how to treat a woman. They claim to be aware or woke about a woman's feelings. Please. A man needs to treat a woman with the utmost respect and politeness. Bring flowers. Open the door. Walk to the street side when near the street. Keep an eye on women when they are walking alone. There is nothing wrong with any of that. 

I am a simple, old fashioned, what you see is what you get guy. I am not a Mr. fix-it. My time growing up was spent on the field. I can't fix most things but I can tell you how to read a defense and I'm even better at analyzing your swing when your hips open too soon and the bat lags through the zone. If you need me to come over and help you move furniture or pick up something really heavy, well...that's me. I'll be there. 

I'm a polite guy. I have manners. I say please and thank you. My son and daughters do the same because my wife and I raised them that way. We demanded they treat people with respect but we also taught them to stand up for themselves, their friends and each other at all costs. I have always told my kids when it comes to bullying and fighting, there are rules. If you come home and tell me you got into a fight in school but it was justified. The kid was doing this or that. As long as you are telling me the truth, we're good. There are rules from school and you will accept being disciplined based on those rules but if you tell me there was a good reason, so be it. And it happened. My son dealt with this exact issue. He put up with it for so long and then he made a decision and lived with the consequences.  

Many people shun that today. Violence doesn't solve anything or boys being boys is a bad thing. If you google boys being boys, its nothing but articles written by a psychologist telling you how bad the phrase boys being boys is. It can lead to men mistreating women or children. No. Boys being being boys is harmless fun. Those men who hurt their wives or girlfriends or children are not boys being boys. I have been there when that happens. I have seen a lot of...bad things as cop. Those men, they're jerks being jerks (watching my language) and when those men do things like that...well, there will always be men and women who are going to stop it. One way or the other. 

Here is a unique viewpoint that I haven't seen anywhere else. Today's men are afraid to be men. What happens when a person is afraid? Just like any animal out there, when a person is afraid and backed into a corner, they're going to lash out. Are we creating a generation of men who are going to become more violent? Hmmm....I hope not. 

I have a two daughters. One is finishing her Freshman year in college and the other is just beginning her college search as she winds down high school. I worry about what they're going to find out there for husbands when the time comes but I know this, they will be treated with dignity and respect no matter what. As I said, there are rough men out there who will stop it. 

My oldest daughter and I.

Goodnight y'all. Go get Buddy Brown's album. You won't be disappointed. Oh..and go check out Prentice Pendleton and the Supernatural Squad!