I think I'll call it "MAN-ifesto"

I think I'm going to take this in a new direction. 

The more and more I talk to people, the more apparent it becomes that men have stepped off the scene, and nobody knows just exactly where they disembarked. The suggestion that one isn't exuding masculine traits sends people into a tizzy, and generally brings up those defensive, pathetic emotions. Opinions aren't opinions anymore; you have no right to think what you will, you only have the right to be tolerant. 

Not in my house. 

Witnessing this disturbing trend has lead me to question just why it is that being masculine is so frequently under attack, and why being a man is considered backwards thinking. I think one reason we don't understand masculinity anymore is the fact that there are so few of us left! 

Where have the men gone?

Who went out and feminized all the men?

 Where are our role-models? 

I think these questions are being asked more and more, and the reason behind them is continually shrouded as we are constantly told that being a man is sexist and close minded. 

Don't worry fellas! I think I may have an answer. One of the biggest problems with masculinity nowadays is that nobody know's "how" to be masculine. With the growing absence of active fathers, boys now have no idea what it means to be a man. One thing we lack is instruction, and that is what I'm going to attempt; easy instruction.

Thus, I present "The Nine Noble Virtues."

For the next little bit, I'm going to be taking the points of the Nine Noble Virtues and breaking them down, explaining them, and giving some insight into just what they mean to us men in the modern era. Stay tuned!

-Coqui

The Importance of Individuality

Individuality.

That's a trait that used to be celebrated when I was coming up through school. 

"Celebrate you! You're unique!"

Where did that go? I've always embraced the fact that I am completely unique, and for that matter, so are you. Nobody on the planet, alive or dead, has experienced what I have, learned what I have, loved who I have, enjoyed what I have, or failed at what I've failed at. Each person is an individual, so why is it that individuals are being forced into collectives? 

Peer pressure is one element I suppose. Simply put, we all like to be liked. Now, not saying that being part of a group is bad, but I think what I have trouble with is when the group replaces the individual. I've never been a fan of large groups, especially when I feel my voice has no relevance. I feel like I've lost my individuality, and that's a nasty feeling. So why is it that everywhere I look, people are jumping at the chance to adhere to the collective? Haven't people been told that they have a rare quality, the likes of which haven't been seen before? That each and every individual has a purpose that isn't the group's responsibility, but their own?

Now I feel that I have to clarify, I'm not talking on a level of ego or self-esteem. While it's good to have these, relying on these feelings is a dangerous thing. Self worth really comes from being an individual who achieves things according to their purpose, who earns worth of self. Self-esteem is a sense that you're better than x or y, because of something that you are, without having anything to back up that feeling. I feel that this distinction has helped destroy individuality by pumping (our) generation with so much empty feeling-based self-esteem that we have no concept of self worth. We feel great as a group or self-esteemed people, but don't even know what it's like to be a self-worthy individual, something achieved through toil, especially inner toil. 

So, who are you? Who do you want to be? A member of a generation that feels worthy of esteem through no trial of character, or an individual who strives to be the best individual mind, voice, and being that impacts the group. 

"You're unique!"

-Coqui

Character

What is Character?

No, not an avatar in a story. What is character, as in an attribute? Why does it matter? Why should it matter?

Ever since I was a small boy, character has been something my father has attempted to imprint on my being. "Character is what you do when nobody else is around," he'd always say. That illustrious 'way to be.' That grandiose perfection that seems so unattainable, and at the same time, so sought after.

Character is defined as a feature of integrity, or, a moral/ethical quality. One's reputation. Honesty, courage, thrift, reverence, loyalty, friendliness, obedience, and cleanliness are just a few examples of what would make up the character of a man (or woman). These are the moral and ethical principals that we base our lives upon, what helps to shape our perspectives, our interactions, and our responses to our world. Our character is what defines us among our peers, our superiors, and especially to those we have been placed above. Dad would say that, "You can tell the character of an employer by the way he treats those he employs." 


Okay, okay Coqui. We've heard that same thing forever. Why does it matter?

This is why it should matter: our world is morally and ethically bankrupt. Where character once was celebrated, it's now looked on as archaic, meaningless, passe. But how can something so integral to our being be passe? That's ridiculous! What if I told you that your arms were meaningless? Your sight was passe. To have something that is fundamentally human be written off as archaic is hopelessly silly, and smacks of the greatest lack of thought. What you are cannot, and should not, be changed. Shouldn't that be a rallying cry in today's world? If everything else in the world is accepted, why is character thrown under the bus? Why are virgins looked down on? Why are crooked politicians celebrated while good men who achieve greater things unknown? Why does evil continue to triumph, and good wane?

Character isn't only a moral compass; it's who you are. So, how are you going to define yourself? With the broken morals of modernity? Is there something greater?

-Coqui

A venture into the written word

A new and exciting literary excursion is about to commence! 

After many years away from the writing desk, Mel steps back to bring you musings on books, politics, and culture! Stay tuned for additions on these subjects and more! First up: a review of the book Sphere by Michael Crichton.

Earnestly, 

Coqui