I'm not a big fan of the term "real men". There are certain subtexts to when and how this type of phrase is used that I'm just not comfortable with. Too many homophobic, narrow minded folk are champions of this kind of talk. Which is too bad, because I do identify with a certain feeling that many men have sort of lost their way in modern society. I fully include myself in this assessment. Case in point: I don't really know how to do a lot of things with my hands, fix things, take apart things, build things. I would like to work with my hands more. I'm working on changing that a little bit every day. But as odd as this may sound, it's work trying to find time for good old fashioned work.
I love working. I've got to work everyday with my hands. Even if I am doing paperwork all day, I've got to go home and chop vegetables or something. It's really important to me. ~ Yvonne Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, surfer, climber, blacksmith, man.
Yes! Even right now, I wish I was doing something more physical. But here I am - sitting at the computer, typing. This strange impulse to communicate getting in the way...
My job involves computers, data, automated processes, phone calls and paper. Not exactly the manly-man-world. It's the modern world, convenient, allows for a pay check, and very easy to feel lost in. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only dude out there feeling like this. To be clear, I have no desire to swing backwards as far as to become a cave-man. This is some stupid shit to want to do. I want to use my modern brain and rational thought. And yet, I also crave something...essentially basic.
By the way, ladies - I'm not trying to leave you out of the discussion. Modernity certainly has a host of challenges for you as well. But I would feel foolish trying to express what those might be or actually feel like. I'm sure you would be much better served being your own messenger in that regard. Like Popeye would often say, I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam. At this point, a slightly wayward, somewhat hopeful man.
Hopeful, I say, because of the example of people like Yvonne Chouinard and also the Malloy brothers - who happen to work for Patagonia. No coincidence there, I think.
Chris, Keith and Dan Malloy are world class surfers, watermen, film makers, travelers, artists, ranchers, environmental advocates, and good old fashioned men. They are definitely thinkers and can express themselves in many different ways, but at the core - they do stuff. Watching their films, reading interviews with them and learning about their latest exploits always inspires me. In a 24/7 technology overload world, I need all of that I can get.
Frequent readers may recall a previous post about the short film Box of Birds featuring the Malloy brothers and their family. Worth a look as well are their surfing films, which you can find out more about over at the Woodshed Films site. The latest is Come Hell or High Water by Keith, all about the world of hard core body surfers. My wife and I had the pleasure of seeing a screening of the film a few months back at Patagonia's Ventura headquarters. Like all the films by this crew - definitely worth a look. Here's the trailer.
Watching a film like this about people doing one of the most primal of ocean activities, simply riding waves with your body, helps stoke those man-do-stuff fires that are far too often left to smolder somewhere deep inside of me. Afterward I feel energized to go out and do my own thing. Some days, I settle for chopping vegetables. But other days I roam, quite a bit more free.
I love working. I've got to work everyday with my hands. Even if I am doing paperwork all day, I've got to go home and chop vegetables or something. It's really important to me. ~ Yvonne Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, surfer, climber, blacksmith, man.
Yes! Even right now, I wish I was doing something more physical. But here I am - sitting at the computer, typing. This strange impulse to communicate getting in the way...
My job involves computers, data, automated processes, phone calls and paper. Not exactly the manly-man-world. It's the modern world, convenient, allows for a pay check, and very easy to feel lost in. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only dude out there feeling like this. To be clear, I have no desire to swing backwards as far as to become a cave-man. This is some stupid shit to want to do. I want to use my modern brain and rational thought. And yet, I also crave something...essentially basic.
By the way, ladies - I'm not trying to leave you out of the discussion. Modernity certainly has a host of challenges for you as well. But I would feel foolish trying to express what those might be or actually feel like. I'm sure you would be much better served being your own messenger in that regard. Like Popeye would often say, I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam. At this point, a slightly wayward, somewhat hopeful man.
Hopeful, I say, because of the example of people like Yvonne Chouinard and also the Malloy brothers - who happen to work for Patagonia. No coincidence there, I think.
Chris, Keith and Dan Malloy are world class surfers, watermen, film makers, travelers, artists, ranchers, environmental advocates, and good old fashioned men. They are definitely thinkers and can express themselves in many different ways, but at the core - they do stuff. Watching their films, reading interviews with them and learning about their latest exploits always inspires me. In a 24/7 technology overload world, I need all of that I can get.
Frequent readers may recall a previous post about the short film Box of Birds featuring the Malloy brothers and their family. Worth a look as well are their surfing films, which you can find out more about over at the Woodshed Films site. The latest is Come Hell or High Water by Keith, all about the world of hard core body surfers. My wife and I had the pleasure of seeing a screening of the film a few months back at Patagonia's Ventura headquarters. Like all the films by this crew - definitely worth a look. Here's the trailer.
Watching a film like this about people doing one of the most primal of ocean activities, simply riding waves with your body, helps stoke those man-do-stuff fires that are far too often left to smolder somewhere deep inside of me. Afterward I feel energized to go out and do my own thing. Some days, I settle for chopping vegetables. But other days I roam, quite a bit more free.
~ Cheers!
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