Michael Chabon's first book of essays covers a topic most critical to BC and the college prep program there: what does it mean to be a man?
Chabon's insightful, often playful, always beautifully written essays frame a series of autobiographical stories within the idea of contemporary manhood. In Honors 10th grade, we listened to Chabon read and we have written drafts of our own responses to the fascinating question.
Matthew Peters
ReplyDeleteIn general, just attending Benedictine helps me to mature and become a grown, responsible man. In my two years at Benedictine I have already learned several traits that a grown man must have such as organization, courage, physical toughness, and humility. In high school, it is oftentimes difficult to juggle sports and schoolwork at the same time. For example, I find it difficult to write a two page English paper, study for a very important AP European History test, do ten complex Honors Algebra II problems, and play 9 holes at golf practice in one night. This is where organization comes into play. The ability to budget one’s time is crucial in high school since it is easy to be overwhelmed by schoolwork, studying, social activities, and extracurricular activities. I have learned the importance of studying in advance and sacrificing some activities so that I can dedicate more time to schoolwork. I believe that organization and time management are important values that a man must possess in order to be successful.
In my two years at Benedictine, I have also learned the importance of courage and physical toughness. It is oftentimes difficult and unpopular to stand up for what one believes in or thinks is right. It takes a lot of courage to stand up to a vicious bully and tell him to stop "locker-checking” a freshman. Doing the right thing sometimes may result in humiliation or embarrassment but it is always important to stand for what is correct and just. Masculinity is oftentimes associated with physical toughness and strength. It is also necessary to be physically tough in an all-boys military school. Oftentimes boys push each other around or “locker-check” one another. One must be able to take this “horseplay” and not become seriously injured or take it too seriously. Although this may seem harmless, one must be able to defend himself. By no means does this give one the right to beat other kids up.
I have also learned that being humble and keeping a low profile is important if you do not want seniors attacking and beating you up. I have learned that it is best to let my actions and accomplishments speak for themselves – rather than boasting and telling the world how good I am. From watching other people’s actions and words, I have discovered that it is best to know one’s place in a society such as BC. Through observations, I learned that as a freshman, I should respect upperclassmen and not talk back to teachers. By no means does this mean that I should allow upperclassmen to bully or haze me. Rather, I should realize that I am a freshman and in 3 years, I will demand the same respect that the present seniors ask for. I believe that humility is essential to the development of a mature man and in the words of St. Augustine; a man with great aspirations should “lay first the foundation of humility.”
Another activity that slowly but surely transforms me into a man is cross country. Running cross country in high school has benefited me not only by getting me in shape but it also taught me essential values of a man such as determination and motivation. One may think that cross country is easy, but I beg to differ. In my opinion, running an average of seven miles a day, five days a week in 85-95 degree weather with the hot summer sun beating down upon you is not easy.
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Matthew Peters
ReplyDelete(Page 2 of 2 - Continued)
Cross country runners train during the scorching, humid months from June to November while most people are at the pool or sitting inside in air-conditioning. It takes a high-level of motivation to wake up in the morning and go out and run for an hour in 95 degree weather. It takes motivation to run for 45 minutes straight after a brutal eight hour school day – and that is just on an easy day. Through cross country, I have learned that becoming better in anything requires dedication, commitment, and motivation. Becoming leaner and stronger motivates me to eat right and drink plenty of water. Becoming faster drives me to lower my mile time from 6:20 to 6:00. Becoming stronger motivates me to lift weights in the off season even though I would rather play basketball during gym instead of squatting 200 pounds. Motivation is key in cross country as well as in life. One must be motivated every day as without motivation, one cannot accomplish anything.
I believe that determination is essential to becoming a great runner – and man. I recall a race during my sophomore season that in my opinion, exemplifies my definition of determination. The BC cross country team had a race early on a Saturday morning. After going to the football game the night before and getting 5 hours of sleep, I boarded the team bus at six o’clock am. After a boring, uneventful ride to the race site in what seemed to be a forest in the middle of nowhere, I found the course to be very hilly, slow, and wet. The temperature was only 80 degrees but the humidity felt as if I was in a rainforest in Brazil. Even though I felt sick from the humidity, I decided that I couldn’t let the team down. I decided to run and even after a 7:10 first mile, I finished the race with a 21:20, placing 13th overall in the junior varsity race and 1st for the Benedictine junior varsity team consisting of 25 runners. I refused to quit and I ignored the pain. Several times I wanted to give up and walk back to the starting line. Yet I refused to give in and I pushed myself to the point where I was about to pass out after the race. I didn’t and my season took off from that point onward. The same goes for life. A man is oftentimes faced with adversity and how he overcomes it determines his character. For as in the words of the great General George S. Patton, “I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.”
Jared Geha
ReplyDelete1/25/12
H. English
What it means to be masculine in the 21st is a question to be thought about and pondered to answer in a good way. Sure, we all know who men are and what fathers do, but what we have to think about is what it means to be all that. Masculinity is just as personal as it I social, and just as physical as it is mental. It is a combination of factors that make up one word, one trait, and one role.
Ever since we were little kids, the values and morals that make up good men today, were being instilled in us, if by parents, coaches, or teachers. This was as simple as punishments for lying, stealing, and time outs. We were taught manners and etiquette by our mothers, and told to play hard, be strong, and not to cry by our fathers. In the future, we need an education, to get a good job, to support ourselves and family if we have one, since in the 21st century and well before, the men are the main source of income to the house.
Men today; to their kids and other people, are strong, tough, smart, funny, figure heads to be looked up on. Every kid who has a good dad looks up to them, maybe even at one point in their youth, are convinced he is a super hero, with super strength and speed. Every question thrown at him came back with a vengeance, answered. If you fall and cut yourself, where your mother would fall to her knees and bandage you up and carry you away, they would tell you to suck it up. As you grow older, you look at him, unfortunately, as a strict tyrant sometimes. He is this way to you to keep you from going astray in life. And as you enter manhood yourself, you notice how hard of a worker he really was and is. Every penny of his pay is spent on you and your wellbeing. This makes him the real hero, men today support the family.
To be a man in the 21st century, you must be a provider and protector. Men have been the soldiers, the hunters, the manual laborers, the strong ones while women have stereotypically made sandwiches. Back before this century, there was a distinction between “men’s work” and “women’s work”. Now however, we only have “work”. Women make up most of the work force today, and also serve in our military, government, and factory jobs. Just because we are born with body parts that make us males, does not mean we are going to grow to be men. To a young child, it would be killing a bear with a pocket knife and kicking the ass of everyone that looks at you funny. Since our work cannot really be distinguished very well anymore from women, we need to stress on the qualities I already mentioned many times.
A man will hold open a door for others, as an impulse, just to help. A man doesn’t even point out the fact they took out the trash or washed the dishes, as boys do that. What men also know how to do best, is make an entire night, afternoon, or even day just slip away; If this is staying at the bar all night or just watching football. Fathers have the right to bang on the dinner table when driving a point home. To date a woman president has yet to be elected, even though a couple have tried, it is because to the public, we just look like the leaders.
A man in the 21st century carries the torch of his family, leads it, and passes it off to a son if he has one, for him to carry it to his child. Living shields to women and family. This day and age, the manly qualities and values can be forgotten and overlooked. What we have to know, is that men work, men protect, men serve, and men teach.
Andrew Geha
ReplyDeleteMr. Brown
Honors English 10
26 January 2012
Right from the start of each race, I could already feel the strain. In my second season of cross country, I already knew that the need for physical and mental endurance did not only start when the pain would begin to kick in; a runner would need them both for the entire race. As a runner, I would likewise need focus. During every meet, I would need to keep the focus on especially maintaining my pace, but also adjusting it in whatever way possible to coordinate it with whatever time had passed.
Endurance, stamina, and focus. By continuing to master these traits, I am able to train myself to become a more efficient cross country runner as well as teaching myself some of the traits of one already embarked on the journey of manhood. In every race, there would come a time where I would have to block out the pain I felt with my mind, or at least do my best to do so. After all, that’s the only way I could protect myself from the pain I would feel. During every race, I would feel like I had to stop running, but I kept on going. Endurance. Stamina. Persistence. Every run would turn into a test of how much I am willing to take, of how far I am willing to go to achieve my goals. And without a doubt, such provides as training for manhood, for nothing comes easy in life, and you have to be ready to push past the pain to achieve your goals. Men don’t, or shouldn’t, submit themselves after the first hit or two. A man needs endurance. A man needs endurance. A man needs stamina. A man needs persistence. Therefore, in a more humorous way, I would say a man needs cross country.
I seem to always shake my head as I open my homework planner to enter in new work on most days for me to do when I would return home. After all, who enjoys flipping through page after page of history, reading and answering questions? Who enjoys figuring out how to draw Lewis Structures for atoms for chemistry class? I, along with many others, find homework pointless, a waste of time. Yet when I occasionally decide to look up from the papers I have to type and wonder about the reasons of how this all could benefit me in the long run, of how learning about triangles and theorems and properties of quadrilaterals could possibly be of any use to me in my life, I strike gold. Sure, I might not particularly enjoy what I’m learning in all of the subjects I take right now, but in reality, all those classes are helping me explore different areas of learning to help me to later decide what occupation I would want to build my life around. All the work in all the classes can help build an appreciative feeling towards the subject, which could then grow into a genuine interest. I guess it would be some sort of stereotype to say this, but men usually are the workers of the family. Seeing as I’m of the male gender, I will eventually become the supporter, the worker of my family. So, even though it seems impossible, it is necessary to appreciate the work that is done now in school, for it will, without a doubt, aid me in my life, in deciding what work I will want to find to last for my life.
I believe men should have the ability to explore different areas of study or work, because it certainly is of no use running into life with no idea of what there is in store for you. I suppose if I were to name a characteristic of masculinity to base around this, I would give the name of open-mindedness. It is only necessary for a man to understand every option he has as far as jobs go when the “requirement” gets thrown at him.
Zachary Watson
ReplyDeleteHonors English
Mr. Brown
1/25/12
Manliness
I believe that sports are one of the main ideas that turn boys into men. Whether you’re watching grown men get pummeled in an attempt to put the ball in the end zone, or you’re the one getting pummeled, they help you grow in toughness and strength, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Mainly I play two sports, soccer and swimming, along with others for fun. Soccer helps me to become faster, stronger, and able to react when life comes at you fast. Swimming also helps me to grow in strength, will, and endurance. All of these qualities are needed to be a true man. Sports are for fitness, a real man should be in shape, not a couch potato who can hardly jog a mile.
Attending Benedictine has juristically helped me on my journey to manhood. A man has to have friends to back him up, and where better to find those friends than good old BC. The great academics at Benedictine are very important to becoming a man as well; I know I don’t want to become a thirty year old trash man getting paid next to nothing. I want to be successful in life and attend a great college and BC can help me with that. Given that the school is all male there is going to be some bullying, which to me isn’t such a bad thing. It teaches you to stand up for yourself and build your character. Finally, it is military based so we get a lot more knowledge than we might have been bargaining for, and you can never be to smart. We also learn tactics and skills that every man should know.
Guiding me to basic manhood is, of course, my father. He is a great man and has a good, successful job. He is currently my role model. He used to be a lieutenant colonel in the army, so knowing that made me realize he is a brave and courageous man who is leading me on the right path in life and I know lots of kids who cannot say the same thing about their parents.
Religion teaches me basics of manhood, many wouldn’t agree but I believe so. God guides us in the right direction and gives us second chances if we struggle in life. Mass I must admit is somewhat boring to me, even though it shouldn’t be, but I go anyway, why? Because it is something a man is dedicated to do. God spends his whole life with us, so we should be able to spend an hour a week with him.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteParents are the first to train boys into men. They do this by teaching you to stick up for yourself no matter what. As well as, supporting you in whatever you do, so that you may become successful. They teach you to go on in life all on your own, so that you can fulfill your dreams. If they were not around, you would not be able to go on in life and do what is right.
ReplyDeleteBC then adds on to what the parents have done. Benedictine does this by giving you the education you need to do what you want to do. Then, they add to it by giving you skills and values that you can use, when you are on your own. They teach you to be honest with yourself and those around you. They also teach you to do what is right. This goes for any high school. They are meant to make you successful in whatever you do.
Sports are meant to teach you values that will help you in whatever career that you will be in, when you go on in life. The coaches, as well as the players around you, teach you the value of leadership and the value of teamwork. The two most valuable things needed in order to become successful in the work force. If it was not for sports, you would not learn how to be a “successful team” with your co-workers in any career or a successful leader for the people you are in charge of.
Religion is what teaches you the moral values that will help you later on in life and in what you do now. It teaches to be closer to everyone else and to God. The moral values it teaches you, is to be honest and to work hard in whatever you do, and no matter what situation you are in. If it was not for the church, you would have no trust in anyone, since no one would be honest. You would also not be able to rely on anyone, since the church is what teaches you to work hard.
Reed Cetti
ReplyDeleteMr. Brown
Honors English
January 25, 2012
“Manhood”
Sports are an extremely important part of a boy growing into a man. They teach discipline that is needed in everyday life. It has also been shown that well disciplined people may have an advantage over others and this will lead them to succeed in what they do, because it gives a person better control over their judgments and actions. Another characteristic that certain sports can build up in a young man is toughness. Contact sports such as football and wrestling build more toughness than some others. Some times sports can have a negative effect on one person while it has a positive on another and this could also lead to troubled times for a boy who is working to become a man. If it were not for sports many of the great men that once were would never have been as great as they were.
My training for manhood has largely been impacted by my education and my school life at Benedictine. Education has been a very important part of my training because my grades will have a very large impact and it will determine where I go and what my future job and life could turn into. My parents have always advocated the idea of good grades and college and in a sense they have almost scared me into trying my hardest to do well. While grades are very important the environment that BC puts me in has given me a lot. It has helped me make new friends that I will probably have for a long time. On a social aspect as well as academic I believe that it will remain a useful and fun memory for the rest of my life.
In my preparation for manhood friends have been a major contributor. Friends to me are people who have got your back and are very similar to you. My friends are all in some way or another similar to me and it seems as though they are all in the same stages of manhood that I am currently in. I hang out with them almost every weekend. They are one of the most important factors in becoming a man because almost like fathers we almost follow the example of our friends. They also have got your back if you are ever in a bind and can even sometimes get you out of it. They also help you let loose and relax if you have had a tense week. It makes thing easier when you can look at them and know that they are not going through something that is all that much different from what you are going through.
Fathers are also a very important part of becoming a man. Parents are probably the biggest part of my training for manhood because they lead by example. If I were not raised the way I was, having a father there to look up to and help me out I would have a lot harder time trying to enter manhood and maybe even not know what a man should be like. Some people have fathers who don’t lead a life of a good man and this could lead a boy to look up to someone else for ways to be a true man. It is safe to say that the main way that we learn to be men is from examples now and in our past. One of the things that have become an almost right of passage to manhood is drinking alcoholic beverages because so many men do it. This example leads young men to try it. This is just one example out of many that boys and young men try to follow true men through what has been passed down through many generations.
Mac Lisicia
ReplyDeleteMr. Brown
Honors English
25 January 2012
One of the most important things about being a man is being responsible. Responsibility can come in many different ways from doing chores around the house to being part of a sports team. My home and my school are the two main places where I learn to be responsible for myself, items, and other people. At home I take responsibility by remembering to do chores around the house. I can show responsibility to my younger brother and sister by doing something as simple as taking out the trash. When I go out of my way to collect the trash and then take it outside to the can it shows my brother and sister that everyone needs to work. At school the JROTC program is a major contributor to teaching me responsibility. The uniform is one of the most important things about the program. In order to succeed I must have my name tag, ribbons, ranks, star, and other paraphernalia all in one piece and in the correct place. On top of my accessories I must remember my hat, belt, and shoes. In order to have all this I must be responsible enough to remember to prepare the night before and make sure that I have all my items and that everything is in the right place. Athletics, which are a big part of my life, teach me responsibility as well as toughness which is another quality of manhood. Sports teach me responsibility because you must show up on time for all your practices, games, workouts, or whatever else may be associated with the sport. Toughness is thought through by fighting through the last sprint despite your burning legs or your lungs that are gasping for air, but as soon as the shrill sound of the whistle sounds and you take off then you are just one step closer to becoming a man.
Spending time with your father is another important part of becoming a man. Whether it is learning how to do simple around the house projects that every man must know how to do or going to watch your favorite athletic team in action. Doing home improvement projects is a huge part of manhood knowing how to do these type of things could save you a lot of money or end up costing you more than you had ever hoped for. Either way a man should know how to do some projects around the house, it could be something as simple as painting a wall or mowing the lawn on a hot summer day. Going to sporting events is another manly thing that all men should do at least once in their lifetime. Waking up early, packing up all the food, drinks, and games, then going tailgating, then attending the game and cheering on your favorite team is a great experience for any man.
Preserving tradition is another step to manhood. Preserving traditions is important because it helps build family. One example would be doing the same thing on Thanksgiving every year in order to make your family closer to one another. If you wake up early every year, before the sun even shows its face, to cook the turkey and other various foods then that is a tradition that your kids will probably follow with their families and then the tradition would just keep on getting passed down. By preserving traditions you are starting to complete the ultimate goal of manhood, which is to have a successful family. Having a successful family is what makes a man die happily. When a man knows that he started out succeeded in his own life and then was successful enough to get married, buy a house, have children, and all those things he then knows that his life was well spent.
Walking up the 18th hole he always had a smile on his face. It didn’t matter if he was ahead seven strokes, down four, or if he had to make the twenty-five footer just to have a chance Jack was smiling and gladly acknowledging the crowds’ cheers. No, I was not privileged enough to experience any of this first hand, but I have seen the replays of Jack Nicklaus’s greatness and my father and grandfather have ingrained Jack’s idea of humility into my head. They tell me how great it was to see him after a loss give the winner, who had stolen his trophy, a warm handshake, some encouraging words, and an occasional hug.
ReplyDeleteClearly Mr. Nicklaus never became too absorbed in himself or his goals to disregard other people; instead he put others first in his life. He was never rude or short, and he would lend some of his time to anyone who asked for it. Always glancing and smiling at young fans outside of the ropes, Mr. Nicklaus was a genial man on and off the course. He didn’t see himself as better than anyone and his humble heart is what made him so likeable.
Watching Jack Nicklaus and other golfers with my dad and family has really taught me a lot of the values of manhood. When I play golf I try to imitate Jack’s demeanor and positivity; don’t throw clubs, or curse, and especially don’t cheat. This can be applied to life as a whole. Men should not let anger take over their lives; instead of getting mad and losing my temper with people I try to find an easy way to fix problems and I work hard to forgive others. I learned that men aren’t the emotionless, rude, meat heads that society wants them to be; real men are caring, compassionate, honest and respectful people just like Jack Nicklaus.
All of this definitely does not mean that a man is a door mat. A man also has to know how to deal with certain people in various situations. I see my dad as the smartest, wittiest person in the room, and if anyone else tests him or tries to poke at him he can always fire back and leave the other person scratching his head. He is really nice but, he doesn’t take anyone’s garbage. My dad is good at telling the difference between a joke and a jerk. If it’s a joke there is no problem at all, but if the comment went too far and the person was asking for trouble then he better get trouble.
My dad always tells my brother and me that if anyone gives us crap or treats us unfairly that we should tell them to give him a call so he can “beat their ass”. Of course he isn’t being completely serious or literal when he says this, but it did teach me something about being man. A man always looks out for the people around him and he supports his friends when they need it most. From hearing this so many times I am sure that when I grow up I will not let anyone bother my family because that is what men do.
At the time of the Nazi movement Germany didn’t have many men in the country. I say this because men stand up for what they believe in. When they don’t stand up for what is good then terrible things can happen, things like the what world saw in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Any man that knows what is right and fails to stand up for that is not a man at all; he is a coward, and that is the polar opposite of a man.
My heart thumped in my chest and warm sweat streamed down my face, as my breath seemed un-catchable. The rush of air through Coach Britt’s whistle remained the only thing that could lift my feet, sore and aching, from the damp grass. At this point no feeling remained in my legs, overly exhausted and utterly ready to give up and throw in the towel, but a feeling inside me remained and the mere thought of giving up was whisked from my mind. “Two more left!” Coach shouted causing me to glance up and peer into the sullen faces of my friends, Miles, Ben, Conrad, and Kyle. The last thing I expected to see was the resemblance of a smile, as my teammates suffering appeared even worse than mine with their faces squirming and tightening, wrought with evident pain and anguish. I persistently pushed my body, pushed my lungs, and pushed my mind a little more, until, finally, I had finished, accompanied by a wave of glorified relief. The eyes of Coach Britt, looking down upon me, portrayed a sense of pride and determination, similar to how he viewed his team, claiming that we, were learning life-lessons through playing the game of football. I wanted to grab him by the arm, penetrate his un-flinching gaze, and let him know what I’ve gone through, yet I remained standing, gasping for air, not prepared what too expect. Maybe next time, I’ll let him know that the determination I have learned during summer workouts will last me a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteMy First Communion, eighth grade graduation, and the BC Commissioning ceremony have all been attended by only two people, my parents. Sitting in the car, begging not go to swim team, my mom would force me to go, unrelenting with her iron fist; she was an unreasonable mother. Standing on the coarse Tybee Island sand, sullenly staring at the ground with the sun hanging above me, honestly, going kiteboarding was the last thing that I wanted to do, but my dad had other ideas. Now, through my own decisions, I swim competitively at a high school level and enjoy kitebaording as one of my favorite hobbies. This unlikely evolution of maturity largely goes unnoticed with its attributes originating at an unknown source, but ultimately my parents have instilled this change in me since adolescence. Secretly they have taught me a virtue of never giving up and, more so, pure willpower. Every attribute of my personality can be somewhat related to the influence of my parents, as humans are simply “products of their environment,” but this influence from my parents sprouts from simple fluxes. Collectively, my parents have been the most monumental impact on my journey into man-hood. However, this man-hood of mine has been groomed inside of me since the day of my birth, but the journey is still unfathomable.
Strolling down the old, BC hall-ways, everyone seems pre-occupied with something more important than school. Has their social success amassed to something more than the information that may determine the rest of one’s life? Unkempt hair, untucked shirt tails, and ties that seem to be tied in knots; the social norm, especially at BC, has seemed to become a lack of care and even stupidity, but has putting a dip in and kicking back a twelve pack become that basis of a males life. There has to be something more to a successful life than being lazy, not caring, drinking beer and catching a dip, but without all of these attributes, I am not expected to become a true man.
Ben Wright
ReplyDeleteJanuary 26, 2012
English Paper on Masculine qualities
Masculinity
The smell of the sharp scent of whiskey, body odor and must filled the room of men. A wise old fellow informed me that men should complete a right of passage. It must be the odor of vodka and sight of drunkenness that tell a person if he has what it takes to make it. Is it how the young one reacts to crazy, outrageous ordeals that determine if he is ready? The task of dealing with his loose, uncontrollable mind when drunk is the test for such a young mind. Alcohol may impair you decision making ability and could affect who you think you want to be. An intelligent father would use the smell of alcohol and must, based on the young son’s reactions, to teach a lesson of self-control. If a man can control himself when under the influence of alcohol, he can control his mind during any situation.
Even though drinking under age is illegal, a father may still make or pressure his son into drinking just to get him in this situation. This is a very unusual method on teaching self control, but often works with success. Is this the right way to teach a young man this lesson? Many people will advocate this way only because it is bound to happen sometime in the boy’s life, either when he is older or even still young and in high school. In showing a young man what the consequences or side affects of drinking are, it may impede his decision just enough to where he either does not drink much or decides not to drink at all. Then the smell of whiskey or vodka or even the dull smell or beer may scare him off in future situations down the road. Do all fathers have to use this same method to teach self control? A lot of fathers do not take this method simply because they think their son is not ready to endure something this serious.
The father and the son strolled into a bar one starry night to test this theory. The son did not know what was about to hit him. In the son’s mind he excited to drink for the first time since all of his friends were doing it. Joyfully looking around the son’s happiness was diminished when he saw the gloomy, pale faces of the drunken people slouching at the bar. Almost instantly his confidence was gone, he did not know what to think now. He heard astounding stories from all his friends about how fun being drunk was and what you can do better when drunk. These stories did not fill his mind anymore, only the mental picture of the sight of that awful and depressed scene at the bar. He no longer wanted to go through with it, but the father insisted. When hearing the authoritative voice of his father ringing in his hears he was forced to do it. The son began to drink and wanted to stop but his father would not let him, he had to keep going. Once drunk and his father knew it, his father asked him if he wanted to drink some more. Of course being drunk he had no since of judgment and still kept going. This decision would haunt him for the rest of his life. He drank so much that he could not take it anymore, he rushed to the bathroom because he felt the sudden urge to rid himself of the nasty alcohol he had put in his body. When finished throwing up he looked down and saw the horrifying image of his own throw up on the ground. This image would stick with him for the rest of his life.
From that day on whenever that young man’s father or friends offered him a drink, he quickly refused, picturing that image in his head right away. In a bizarre manner the father had taught his son to control himself under pier pressure. When the son realized the lesson he had learned he thanked his father for doing it. The sight of the gloomy, dark bar and the smell of any type of alcohol, must and body odor would never leave his mind for the rest of his life. It had taught him one of the most important lessons of becoming a man.
Kyle Matthews
ReplyDeleteOver the past century Masculinity or even just the things that make a man a man have changed. Last century being a man was Hemmingway’s ideals of being a man, this century its being able to fight and not being able to show emotion as well as some other ideals. And somewhat being a man has even been dulled down or at least it’s not as important to be manly as it used to be. Now men tend to be in touch with their “feminine side”. Men weren’t supposed to be feminine now that doesn’t mean that they can’t cook or sew or clean. There’s a point where men are losing their manhood.
No emotion, never let them see you sweat, walks three miles into the woods before crying. These are ways to show a man in this day. Men aren’t supposed to show emotions other than happiness and anger. You can be happy that you won the game or happy that you got the deer, or you can be pissed that your team lost or mad that you missed. But you can never be sad you’re almost not allowed to be sad. If men see you cry it’s almost a hand over your man card moment. If you’re sad do you know what the “man code” says, you go drink. You drown your sorrows in a jack or beer. You turn that depression into drunken rage. That’s what society sees as being a “man”. You also aren’t supposed to be worried, being worried is for women. You’re supposed to be strong and confident. If you are worried you drown your worries as well. If you are worried you drown your worries as well. I believe that a true man is strong enough to show when he is actually worried because if he keeps bottling those feelings up he goes into denial and after that it’s a short slope into one day exploding at something small at an inappropriate time. Being a man is knowing when to keep your emotions in check and not let them get the better of you but also knowing when to let them out healthily without drugs or alcohol. You could go for a run or chop wood or punch a punching bag all these are manly substitutes to bottling up or drowning your emotions.
Another ideal is the ability to kill human or animal now I’m not saying killing people like in the old west when you settled things in a shoot out. I mean a soldier taking a life in defense or a cop shooting someone to save themselves or the civilians in harm’s way. And killing animals hunting, some people don’t have the stomach to deal with taking any kind of life. When you hunt it is one of the most difficult things to do for some people. First you have to go out a couple of hours before sunset. Deer don’t come out until it starts to get toward sunset and you have to have time for the noise you made coming in to settle down. Then you sit there and wait for an hour or so not moving just sting there you can nap or something but you can make noise. To do this you have to have self control men have to have self-control, true “strength” which a man is supposed to have means being able to control one-self. Then when a deer finally comes you pick up your gun and steady your-self. You take aim and breath in and out slowly then on the out breath squeeze. This may look simple on paper but if you think about the kill to much it can cause mental stress and that affects your physical ability. If you can’t take a life it doesn’t make you not a man, it just means you care about nature now there are extremes on both sides just because you hunt doesn’t make you a cruel animal slaughterer.
Men are supposed to be strong, but how? In physical strength, in mental or emotional strength? What about both. I believe that even though you could be the world’s strongest man if you’re not smart enough or wise enough to use it right you not a man you’re just a gorilla. And men don’t just sit at home all day on their laptops creating algorithms you also need to be able to handle yourself. I’m not saying that you have to be huge and ripped or that you have to be Hawkins but you need to have sense and some physical strength. That’s what truly being a man is being able to move heavy rocks with your arms but smart enough to not have to.
Kyle South
ReplyDeleteLooking at the withering green grass with my hands on my knees, breathing
heavily and drained of energy; the sharp pierce of Coach Danny Britt’s whistle
penetrated my ears. The constant beating of my heart raced and raced almost
staying in rhythm with Coach Britt’s every shout as the football team and I began to
finish our wind sprints becoming a far better group of young men and athletes
determined to finish the last sprint of the day. “One more!” he said. “One more and
your finished!” With the salty coating of sweat all over my body, he blew
the whistle one final time. I pushed myself to the end of the sprint till I knew I was
finished. After the hot and numerous sprints, Coach Britt told us that we are all
exceptional young men determined and driven to finish. I knew the second it
came it out his mouth that on my quest to becoming a man, two of the qualities I
gathered from that day that makes us men is sheer determination and physical
toughness.
Walking through the bustling halls of Benedictine Military School, I was
cognizant that BC is not only about faith, education, or athletics, but tradition as
well. My father once told me through his orotund, yet sensitive voice that when I go
to BC, a new bond will spark between us because he went here as well as his father.
“BC is sacred ground ,“ he says. As I listen to him talk about the many comical, fun,
and emotional memories of BC, I can’t help but notice the sincerity in his eyes as he
talks to me because he wants me to cherish life and the great things BC has to offer.
Looking and reflecting back onto my father’s words as I walk on the sacred ground
he calls BC, I recognize that as you become a man, tradition becomes a key asset to
manhood because it is a unique bond that a father and son can share.
The clock was ticking and time was not on our side. I was standing in the
huddle and listening to the call while the stadium rocked shouting and chanting
for a victory. With sweat pouring and dripping from my facemask on this humid
southern night, all I could think was what a great night to be a Cadet. We were on
defense and looking for a stop to shove Windsor Forest out of the red zone.
Windsor was tired and lagged behind us with the endurance we had built up over
the summer. We lined up on the ball, and as their offense broke the huddle we read
their formation and shifted ours. The quarterback got into his alignment and
signaled for the ball to be snapped, but did not know that our defense
was to strong to be blocked in the late fourth quarter of the game. We pressured the
quarterback and his receiver dropped the ball making it a BC first down. Our offense
played strong the whole game and was able to drive the ball all the way down to the
red zone, putting in a field goal for the win. Looking back on the game, I
understood that mental toughness was the quality that got us through that night.
Mental toughness is key to manhood because it gets us through the toughest times
by providing us with internal motivation to persevere and succeed.
Work ethic plays a huge role in the idea of becoming a man because as we
ReplyDeleteknow, society is run in classes, how you manage on where you are in society is up to
you. Getting through a day of school can be stressful or smooth depending on what I
have in store. After school I will have either a grueling football practice or a game,
and if it’s not football season I work out everyday after school for several muscle
tiring hours. After working out I come home and begin homework until it’s
completed. This also includes studying, which may take several hours until the
blood vessels of my brain throb with the knowledge I have stored into them. I push
myself to the fullest extent in extracurricular activities, school, and life. I am a hard
worker and strive to be the best person I can be. I’m in several honors classes and
make nothing but solid straight A’s, proving not only I’m a hard worker, but I excel
due to my mindset. I push myself in football, and coaches begin to notice that the
harder I work the more they need me and realize that my work ethic will increase
my playing time. I did this freshman year in the brutal and unforgiving season of
2011. At the beginning of my sophomore year I achieved the Academic Achievement Award, which is given to those Cadets who make nothing but straight A’s their
previous year in all classes. I believe that in doing this and accomplishing my goals I
can sharpen my work ethic and become a better scholar and prepare myself for
manhood.
Steven Tate
ReplyDeleteHonors English 10
Mr. Brown
Masculinity Paper
Masculinity and Manliness
‘Watches on zero… go!’ Coach Curley bellows as he punches the stopwatch dangling from his neck with red and blue pens hanging from the lanyard. ‘First man, last set!’ echoes through the weight room as I lie on the bench, preparing to lift the bar off of the rack. ‘Catch him!’ Coach O’Hearn hollers at me as I pass through the gate entering the dirt track at SCD, finally able to see the promised finish line with a mob of people on either side, shouting various encouragements I am unable to make out.
Toughness is preached throughout a young man’s daily life, during school, practice, at the dinner table, in the locker room, on the television, across the internet, and in literature. Often oblivious to the “training” we are receiving, we typically just go with the flow of things, obeying our coach’s, father’s, and teacher’s wishes, not considering the implications of the actions we are taking. We are being shaped by others in our lives to better fit that cookie-cutter mold that is expected of men from society in general. Toughness is part of this expectation, and we are groomed to be not only physically tough, but also mentally tough, as well as emotionally tough. Weakness is something we are led to believe should never be shown, which I believe feeds into our competitive nature. Naturally, competitiveness is a way of expressing dominance in order to woe the ladies, however, in our unique circumstance at BC, there are no ladies to impress, yet the competitiveness seems more intense compared to other places. It’s a way for us to express our toughness through even something as simple as a P.E. basketball game. We learn that emotional toughness is also a crucial step in becoming like the cookie-cutter man we are taught to be, as constant joking with and about one another is constant, helping to teach us to brush things aside and not take everything so serious. An unwritten rule is that crying is almost always forbidden, as it is the complete failure to demonstrate emotional toughness. Crying is taught to demonstrate weakness, and even during basketball games, the student section will chant ‘Cry! Cry! Cry! Cry!’ at the other team’s players if one is hurt during a game. The chant not only pokes fun at the opposing player, but also at crying in general. It makes crying out to be some pitiful thing to do. Mental toughness is also expected out of the typical cookie-cutter man. We are expected to push through the urge we may get to let up or to slack off. For example, in cross country practice, we are not only training our bodies to handle the rigors of racing, but we are also trying to mentally prepare ourselves for what a meet will entail. We put in the extra intervals and push ourselves despite the urge to cut it short and let up.
Another crucial point in the path to becoming a man is recognizing and respecting experience. This is one of the main reasons I think we respect seniority at BC so much more than anywhere else. With seniority comes experience, through which comes wisdom, which is to be respected, because if you are lucky you may be given some piece of advice that may benefit you later down the road. The majority of times, the upperclassmen know what they are talking about because they have that experience that we look to pick up ourselves. That’s another step in our “training” to become men, picking up experience that will be crucial later on down the road; crucial on our path to manhood.
Nick Blohm
ReplyDeleteNick Blohm
Honors English
Masculinity Paper
Slipping out of the car and down onto the soft dark dirt, I let out a long and powerful yawn. Being the big man I am, I quickly assemble my khan 12 gauge. I ask my dad for my shells and dump them into my right vest pocket. I am one of the guys I thought, out hunting the fields with a bunch of thirty year olds, shooting guns and killing birds.
I carefully slide over the barbwire fence being sure I make it past and avoid getting all tangled up in it. As we walk hastily through the dew soaked waist high grass, I hold my gun close. As I walk with the group, I gaze ahead into the endless Iowa morning sky. Our faithful companions sniff there way through the thick grass, weaving back and forth as they get closer and closer. As the sight of one leg raised and snouts pointed is spotted our faces light up. My dad shouts out “flush” and the dogs rush in head first like children running down the stairs on Christmas morning into the mysterious thicket. As the multi colored beauties rise into the open sky, I raise my gun quickly to my shoulder, line up my target down the sight, and I feel the kickback as the shot leaves. As time stops with gun powder filling the air, four pheasants fall back to earth like a lead balloon. The dogs quickly are in pursuit of the dead bodies lying motionless. Feeling more manlier than ever, I grin from ear to ear at my success while I am complimented on the shot. Here I am I thought the youngest out here and I got one of the first birds.
Hanging out back in the saloon of my dad’s friend, Mike Locke’s house we sit around watching the University of Iowa football game. The older guys are all sitting at a small table playing cards and drinking beer. I hear Mr. Locke call my name and say “Nick get over here bud”. They tell me to sit down and play a few hands of cards with them. After winning the first to games and feeling like a real man, Mr. Locke tells me if I win this hand I can have a beer. Wanting so badly to be one of the men with a beer in their hand I got excited. Just my luck I lost that next hand and felt robbed of my chance to become a man then and there.
As I walk back over to the couch and continue watching the game, I think to myself “what it means to be a man like the ones I am surrounded by?”. Is it that they all are good shots? Or that they all have jobs?, or that they hang out with their buddies and drink beer?. Then I came to understand that being masculine isn’t just certain actions but rather a way of living.
Masculinity is finding times to hang out with the guys, like hunting. It is having some good old fun in the fields shooting pheasants and cracking jokes amongst one another. Being a man means you like the outdoors and wildlife. Hunting is a tradition among men, going all the way back to cave men would go out and hunt for dinner. Hunting is a mans hobby and the manliest men are the best at it and show that skill by having the best shot. Every male should embrace masculinity in which ever form they posses it.
Whenever the word “masculinity” is mentioned, it can, for some people, conjure up images of great conquerors and kings, the first basemen or running back of our favorite teams, or maybe even our fathers, uncles, and brothers. They are all strong men who did strong things, and usually smelled awful afterwards. This is an archaic form of manliness, and we need to refine our definition of masculinity.
ReplyDeleteImagine for a moment a band of Ice-Age hunters. They crouched low and stepped softly, leaving the delicate brown leaves on which they trod uncrackled. Their hot breath materializing in the snowy air, becoming frigid before it exited their body. They knew they could take down a mammoth. They had each other, bound by a strong sense of camaraderie and fraternal bonds. They had their muscles, with which they might hurl their spears. They had steeling years of training and practice. Their determination, resilience to pain, strength, and mental abilities were all working in tandem to achieve their goal. Unfortunately for men like that, there aren’t very many mammoths left in the world.
As a staunch pacifist, I abhor violence. It makes me sick to my stomach to think about physical confrontation. But occasionally, when confronted with some challenger with whom I might do battle, my biology takes over. I clench my fists until my nails pierce my palm. My hair stands on end, each one erect like a small building full of tiny men telling me to fight. My lip curls, my arms and legs preparing to do what they did so well for my male ancestors. At this moment, when I fully embrace what it means to be a man, to defend myself and my effects, to be strong in will and body, is when I fully surrender my humanity for the sake of my mammalian instincts.
In an age where humans, not beasts, rule the world, our old masculine tendencies are no longer needed. They may give us an advantage in certain activities, but they are often harmful, to both ourselves and people around us. They are what drive us to drink, party, fight, kill, and rape. They have been repressed by a society that doesn’t allow us to exert our manly desires. Instead of neglecting them, we must redirect them.
I have an odd relationship with learning. I can barely make it through a school day and often neglect my homework. Someone who observed me at school might think that I am lazy, or apathetic, or maybe even unintelligent. Yet each day I sequester myself in my room and unravel the greatest works of science and literature, uncaring about the world around me. I have turned reading into a kind of personal sport for myself.
If we, as men, want to fulfill ourselves, we must forget our brutish and animalistic tendencies. They are as intrinsic to us as our very bodies, but they are harmful. Instead of glorifying over who can score the most, run the fastest, or jump the highest, we must begin to work a new kind muscle.
Sam Geha
ReplyDeleteMr. Brown
Honors English-10
01/26/12
Before every 400-meter run workout during track season, I am reminded just how much of a physically demanding practice is ahead of me. During the springtime, when the track season finally arrives, it brings along another guest: the intense spring heat. By this time of year, the cold weather of winter is all but gone, and creeping back into the air to replace it is the unrelenting heat of the new season. The sun has no remorse for the discomfort it ushers in, as its chokehold only increases to tighten on those below it as time passes. And of course, the effect seems to intensify even further as we begin those dreaded 400-meter workouts. On and on we would run on the cracked asphalt of the ancient track, the heat reflecting off of the black surface, sandwiching us with discomfort from below and above. As menacing as the weather may seem, however, it took me time to realize that the heat wasn’t my biggest nemesis; I myself was.
Running is a sport of endurance, physical strength, and especially, mental toughness. Of all of the sports out there, none of them is more of a mental sport than running is. In my own experiences, there would be races and practices in which I would let my mind, the doubt, and fatigue best me. Over time, however, I would learn that if there is anything that can help me capitalize on ousting the pain and fatigue from my mind, it is those 400-meter workouts. As I continue to push myself harder, with the scream of the coach’s whistle marking the end of each long lap, the heat, fatigue, physical depletion, and pain begin to pound on the doors of my consciousness. With the methodical sound of my shoes slapping the asphalt surface of the track also comes the thunderous heavy breathing, and my own quick heartbeat pulsating through my head like a drum. Not long ago, those things would slip into my mind without any resistance, draining me of my strength before the workout was even halfway through. But because I love top run, I soon learned to capitalize on my own fatigue. Since then, I have become a mentally stronger and more passionate athlete, and most importantly, I have acquired faith in my own abilities. In times when I didn’t think I could make it, I tried to look for some resolve, some strength of will, even when it was the most difficult thing to do. Through my failures, I found success, and the ability to ignore the pain and fatigue has assisted me in acquiring the mental and physical endurance to not fail myself.
Some may argue that the world is a dangerous place, how survival of the fittest is the way to go. As true as this claim may be, however, it is not what we are taught to believe as we grow up. We as men are the ones whose responsibilities it has been to look out for others among us, our friends, siblings, so on. Historically, it has been our task to do so and serve as protectors, guardians, all the while respecting those who we collaborate with. As we grow up, we are instilled virtues of protection and respect for others in life lessons and virtues that we may take for granted. For example, helping an elderly person across the street may be the stereotype act of random kindness that we can perform, but it gives us an understanding of how respect can go a long way. Sticking up for a brother at school helps us gain an insight to the importance of family, something that we as young adult men will have to carry along with us into our future. Finally, the choices we make in life, will undoubtedly have a great effect on us as adults. These choices can range from simply doing the right thing, ignoring peer pressure, and choosing to put yourself before others. In the long run, we must realize how big of an impact these choices will have on our future, even if they seem insignificant for the present.