Secrets

"What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets." I always chuckle a little when I remember this phrase. I imagine myself throwing a glass on the ground to get the added effect. If I start to really think about it, it may as well be gospel. The lies we live, the lies we tell others, the lies we tell ourselves. We hold our secrets at our core, just center of our heart.

'I am a man,' we shout into our own subconscious. Fearing that if we lose that our selves will be lost as well. Carving away our own flesh to fit into abstract boxes that we can't even define. Be strong? Weakness is sin, in any form. Holding onto our imagined 'man cards' like the family jewels in a game of roshambo. (Calling them jewels is pretty vain, they aren't particularly alluring).

What is strength without heart? What is heart without courage? What is courage without dedication? What is dedication without willpower? What is willpower without strength? And what are all those rhetorical questions suppose to mean? As if a man will no the answer to these if he is a man. A flow of circular reasoning meant for the pinnacle of masculinity to understand. In truth, there are no men.

No, I'm not hear for a debate about sexuality; not today. Did you know colors look difference people? Why not social constructed ideas of gender identities? Ask people what is a man? And I bet you won't get the same answer. Every post in this thread is going to be different. Now I have a question for you: What isn't a man?

You probably can compile a list of safe biological attributes; come on don't be shy. There are some things you're not putting on that list, but you're thinking it. I'll put some down for you: high heels, lipstick, dresses, purses. Why can't a man be feminine? There there are again, those pesky little square pegs that we have to shape to fit. Black and white, pink and blue; conditioned thoughts in an age of free thinking.

Think better, don't drive in their lane or you'll get stuck in their pace. Ask the better question: what makes a human a humane? Man? Woman? Neither matter if you aren't even human. In all your rushing to be a man, don't forget to be human. I don't think you would swipe right on someone who called themselves, 'an inhumane man.'