Walk The Line

John Myers once said, ~What makes a man a Man? A friend of mine once wondered. It is his origins? The way he comes to life? I don't think so. It's the choices he makes. Not how he starts things, but how he decides to end them.~ As a guy, one's manhood can be called into question when it pertains to certain areas of life such as relationships, love, marriage, etc. Without a doubt, every guy has been told to be a man when something or someone affects us that it totally changes the fabric of our being either for better or worse. For its how a man deals with the particular situations placed in front of him that essentially defines not only his character but also his heart as well.

Every man starts out with the adolescent innocence of a small boy and for the most part some, most, or all grow up and become the man he was born to be. For its through proper training and guidance from one's parent(s) who instill in him criterias in life to either follow or not follow, which in turn gives a woman insight into how he was raised and the values he holds close. The combination of a nurturing, caring, loving mother mixed with a no-nonsense, stern, sometimes stubborn father gives a woman the man that stands before her. Yet, results can vary depending on the man's family situation growing up and the atmosphere surrounding his upbringing.

Without a doubt, all men have an ego to where if that ego is bruised, foolish pride sets in and every guy, whether he wants to admit or not, has made a fool of himself when it came to following his heart. A man's ego and his heart, two things that continually clash as it begins and ends with a woman, who may or may not be "the one" that not only makes him crazy for a lifetime but also truly brings him to life. For some, most, or all men, its the choice to swallow his pride/apologize for things right or wrong that may end up embarrassing her and ultimately severing a plutonic/potential/significant relationship, which is truly becoming of man.

Let me ask you this question ladies, when it comes to encountering conflicts with the man in your life, does he leave things unfinished to where resentment is felt or does he stay by your side and talks things through until the situation is resolved? That is the determining factor in any relationship for any woman to find a guy who will not run away or avoid the conflicts that fester over time and if not dealt with they'll explode to where there will be no survivors left standing. Every woman has been in this type of situation and there is still a bit of resentment towards a particular guy who not only did you wrong, but left things unfinished which left you scar that hasn't healed within your heart.

Personally speaking, I have to ask this question: what makes me a man? Is it how my mom taught me to always say yes sir, no sir, yes ma'am, no ma'am, plus please and thank you. Is it how my dad, who was an officer in the Navy, taught me to respect women and never lay a hand on them. Or is it how both my parents taught me to always be a true gentleman, which is seriously lacking in the guy department. What it comes down to are the choices made in the beginning and seeing them all the way through. In the end, I continue to walk the line my parents set me on and even though I've made mistakes with the choices I've made, they will always be proud of me as the man I am now and also the man I will become in future.