"Take it like a man," was a pretty common phrase in the 90s and early 2000s. Men were not supposed to show emotion because, for whatever reason, people decided men showing emotion was akin to showing weakness. And let's not forget that boys became "men" in terms of stoicism somewhere around the ripe old age of 9. About 4th grade is when I can remember boys no longer tattling at school (mostly), clenching their jaws when they stubbed their toes on playground equipment, blinking furiously to avoid tears when they got hit in the face in dodgeball, acting like "no big deal" when a friend was mad at them.
To be honest, it breaks my heart. All these little 9 year old boys trying to grow up faster than they should. Nowadays, men showing emotion is more encouraged and accepted. In fact, "sensitive" is an adjective women use to describe a man they'd like to date. I think it's great. My husband has cried at movies before - and I love him for it. While he doesn't show sadness nearly as often as I wish he would allow himself to, he does convey it and I am quick to tell him that I'm grateful he shared that with me.
So the other day, I was at Powell's Books with Corky and I saw this:
It actually made me really sad and a little mad. Since when is it not okay for a boy to have a journal? Since when is it not okay for boys (or men for that matter) to write down how they feel? Why was there a need to write "destroy if needed" on the front? Why should they destroy it?? Men are humans. Humans have feelings. What's wrong with that? I don't think it's "un-manly" to write down your feelings. It's better than bottling them up and letting them come blasting out at unsuspecting people later.
This is something I think our society could work on. Help ALL people, whatever their gender, feel more comfortable with feeling.
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