The Man Box
We’re creating monsters in our own communities, and we don’t know how they got there.
Boys are always told not to cry, that showing emotion equates to weakness, that feelings are irrelevant, and unnecessary. Has anyone ever stopped to think about what that does to us? Because we all grow up and then we face trauma, heartache, heartbreak, and disappointment, and when it comes time to deal with the weight of these things we are helpless. We have no tools to help us cope. Instead we get angry, we get violent, we turn cold. We look for ways to numb the feelings with alcohol, drugs, sex, violence, and indifference . We use these as tools to deal with what makes us human, and in turn these false idols take away our humanity. Unchecked long enough what was once a hurt little boy will soon grow into an abusive monster.
Like all monsters, someone will have to face us, and feel our wrath. That someone is usually the people closest to us. Our friends, family, co workers, the people in our communities and anyone willing to get in our way. But more often than not, the women in our lives feel the full force of our rage. We release that pent up rage in such a burst that it’s damage shows up in more ways than either party can comprehend. We pummel them with our judgement, our words and our first, they become the physical embodiment of the pain that makes us weak, and the only way to get rid of weakness is to…
