An Open Letter About Men

All of us whether we are men or woman have men in our lives that we care about. They are our fathers, our brothers, our sons and our partners and what we hope for them is that they lead happy and fulfilled lives.

What is it to be fulfilled as a man in our society? Is it to be a warrior? Is it to become rich? Is it to be a scholar? Is it to be an athlete or a playboy? We all have unspoken expectations for the men in our lives and they also have unspoken expectations for themselves, but unfortunately, they never really tell us what they want for themselves. We do not always know the secrets of their innermost dreams.

We do however notice that many of our men are angry at the roles life has given them to play. We see it in the domestic violence that explodes in our homes and on our streets, and in the anger that is often released in the violence of war. When a man views himself as an individual, he doesn’t seem to have a problem knowing what he wants to achieve in his life and how to find his happiness. When he views himself as part of a group, then he must mold himself to the expectations of that group even if it is not a good fit. Many men never question the destiny that life has dealt them, and if ultimately they are not happy with their roles they become angry and don’t really understand how to change that destiny.

The emerging and changing roles of women and their ability to make more diverse and individual choices will ultimately effect the lives of men and hopefully give them more freedom to make constructive individual choices of their own.

What all of us want for the men that we love is that they live happy and fulfilled lives. How will men begin to achieve these goals? It will take the courage and informed decisions of  individual men who have finally decided to make the conscious changes that are necessary to help them to live more personal, happier and less anxiety- ridden lives.

June Stepansky is a published poet and writer who now has a monthly self-help web-site on the internet.(A DIFFERENT VOICE- -Monthly newsletter featuring poetry, opinion and the exploration of a happier lifestyle.)

For more articles by June Stepansky visit

http://home.att.net/~adifferentvoice/