reply to post by inchworm
Hehe naah not really mate but a few things have changed over the years i'll try to highlight them if i can and to add a little flavour im lucky
enough to belong to a group of friends that started at around this age amongst which there are many personality types and i have in all honesty had to
generalise a little.
from 14-18 years it was all testosterone and no brains need i say more, it was beer more beer with chasers and a lot of aggression.
from 18 -26 years it now became a small world of divided values and intentions, some of my friends had gone onto university, others carried on the
life of no responsibilities but finding a roof over our heads, our tobacco, beer, the occasional sh*g and our bikes or cars, amongst us all there
were those that settled down and got on with the business of living life with another value such as settling down and having a family or at least
trying to.
from 26-36 some of us had divorced with or without kids, a few got married and settled down and began a family, some of us began our educational
advancements through Access into univ courses or univ itself or some of the above.
from 36-47 we some how all managed to get together and pick up where we all left off, we look at the younger generations and laugh, cringe and such
because we see ourselves in them, each trying to prove to be a man as they understand it, at the end of the day all it boils down to is respect for
oneself as well as respecting the life choices of those around you (providing it doesn't cross an acceptable moral boundary) respecting AND LISTENING
to the lady in ones life (or man if your that way inclined, not that i understand it but each to his own so long as no harm done),being respected is
also important whether quietly or open and publicly it doesn't matter, reaching ones own boundary of limitations, accepting responsibility for ones
own actions good or bad, accepting responsibility and encouraging your offspring to be true to themselves and reach out and discover their own place
in the world, most importantly enjoy the game of life at every step of your life and try to get all of those around you to do the same.
from 47 + this is still a mystery to me to be honest but i listen to the really old buggers in the pub that have lived and know that this is yet
another hidden country to me, i am just grateful. that when any of my group of mates or myself open our mouths they sit and listen not take the piss
because we talk from life experience in all its many various forms.
i guess the moral of the story is just be yourself to the fullest you can be and be prepared to be surprised that you may of lived more of a life and
been more of a man than you may of first thought.
Some like me have fought all their lives to be an alpha male, others on the other hand have been the quiet introverts that are more reflective and
from each personality type (these symbolising one extreme from the other) we have all learned something valuable from each other, what these lessons
are i will let each and every male learn for themselves but from this moment on as i trail into the elders seats in the pub i will never devalue any
mans experience that has made him who he is today.
If you sit with me over a pint or a fruit juice and say that your a man and can give an honest account of your life's story that is enough for me and
i will accept that and i expect the same to be reciprocated.
yours aye,
weaverre