The Road Map Out: My Journey With Men’s Groups
Accepting the support of other men is powerful.
Not many journeys of note start from the dreary District Line platforms at Acton Town. As another arctic blast swept along the platform during the interminable wait for a train into London, I lamented the decision to ignore my long johns that morning.
During the obligatory scan of my phone to pass the time something caught my eye. “Men’s Groups…?” An article interviewing the founder of a men’s network meeting weekly to talk openly and support each other intrigued me.
I made note of the name, thinking someday in the future perhaps this could be an avenue to explore. Maybe. If I ever took my inner life and self-talk seriously. My attention turned back to the reality of a London commute and, you know, I’m fine.
I had been looking for answers for a lifetime, the solution that will bring me out of my own darkness to feel connected to life and the world around me. Therapy was a failure that resulted in frustration and disappointment, empty conversations and two people talking different languages.
The fire fight in my mind robbed me of my sense of self. Insecure, lacking self-esteem and low self-confidence — the blessed trinity that real men aren’t…
