THE BOYS ARE NOT ALL RIGHT... TRUTH! (click title above to take you to the original article, The Boys Are Not All Right, By Michael Ian Black, Published in the New York Times)
Last night I had a long conversation with a straight friend who also identifies as black. I identify as white and part of the LGBT community. We talked about spirituality, masculinity, suicide, family and the crisis men in our nation / the world are under. Men are struggling. ALL MEN ARE STRUGGLING. The struggle doesn't discriminate. The struggle doesn't care about the color of your skin, how much money you're making or who you're sleeping with... Men are hurting in epidemic proportion.
We're struggling with what it means to "be a man", to "be a good father", to "provide" and to be good partners in our relationships. We're trying to navigate our masculinity and love and how the two come together. MEN... It is time to be reaching out to one another. It's past time to be reaching across the lines of race and ethnicity, culture, religious beliefs and socioeconomic status in order to share our stories, experiences and most of all our struggles and all THE SHIT that leads us down paths of shame and feeling emasculated.
Find a male friend you trust, respect and who you know loves you. Begin the conversation. If you're a man who is already strong in your feelings, communicates well and understands what I'm saying... REACH OUT TO OTHER MEN! WE NEED EACH OTHER NOW MORE THAN EVER!
If you're reading this and struggling today. Know that you are loved. Reach out. There are other men there to listen. Share experiences and know you're not in this alone. Help bring each other forward as men in this crazy world.