Most men, most men will only experience unconditional love from their mothers and some of us don't even get that. Most of us have never even felt appreciation or respect without conditions or hidden intentions. We don't know what it sounds like to hear, "I see you" & "I'm proud of you." "I'm glad you're here." "You really make a difference" , yet The expectation is to constantly be displaying a strength and love that the world is hesitant in conveying. We're expected to have a thick skin but get judged if it turns to a hard shell.
The first step in being a man is ignoring the hunger because yes, boy, you're gonna be starving. Starved of attention. Starved of affirmation, starved of love, starved of being told that you are enough.
Step 2 in being a man is comfortability with replaceability. You are only as good as you are useful. You are only valuable when you are needed by others. Should there ever come a day boy, where you fail to provide everybody with a smiling face Then do not be surprised. When they say all men do is take up space and you are swiftly replaced.
Step 3 in being a man is overcoming your fear of the fire because almost everything you will ever try to build will go up in Flames; relationships, careers, hobbies, and yes, you are always to blame.
Step 4 in being a man is understanding that by the time you finally get all the right answers. These questions will have already changed. You might achieve the strength of Herculean fiction trying to balance the weight of all these contradictions. BE A MAN, They say, definition unknown, description keeps changing, we men, so empty.