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Townhall Finance
On Being a Man
By John Ransom
This week I will be taking selections from writings I've written
elsewhere regarding life and liberty and sharing them with you.
Today's selection is a letter I wrote to someone who was coming of age
and wanted advice about being a man.
It's not that I think I'm an expert. Far from it. But he thought it
helpful and it can serve as a point of discussion for Christmas
Day.
Dear __________,
Before this last century boys your age were considered men really. They
held all sorts of jobs and responsibilities, including general, emperor
and king. It is only in the last 80 years or so that we have come up
with this idea of being a “teenager” where you are not quite a man but
certainly not a child either.
Reject that notion.
In age, outlook and maturity you are certainly ready to take on the
responsibilities of being a man. It is this idea of responsibility and
how you meet it that makes you a man.
I know several men, so-called, who have shirked their responsibilities
and consequently will never be men. They are over-grown boys who never
put away childish things, most especially the natural self-centeredness
that goes with being a child. I know others that have been men from an
early age.
I, myself, was somewhat late in becoming a man. I have therefore, spent
a considerable amount of time pondering what goes into adulthood. Here
is some of what I have learned:
Firstly, God has put a special responsibility upon you to help and
protect those weaker than yourself, those less fortunate than yourself
and those in distress. The measure of a man is in how he meets these
challenges. A good man treats those around him with kindliness and
consideration especially under trying circumstances. I count your
father amongst one of the very special examples I have known in meeting
this responsibility. You can learn a lot from him. He is more than just
a man in my eyes, but what used to be known as a gentleman…
Read the rest of the article at Townhall Finance
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