5 Manly Things

I had seen a review of The Decline of Men earlier, but when I read Robert Rosenthal's interview with Guy Garcia for Ad Age yesterday, it made me think. About things I have learned and things I want my son to know. So while the 25 things meme circulates endlessly on Facebook, let's do something different: five manly things I can do and will pass on to my son. Tag, I'm it.

Male-targeted reality shows such as "Ice Road Truckers" and "The Deadliest Catch" tap masculine nostalgia for a time when physical brawn and bravery—not PowerPoint and spreadsheets—defined manly work.
—Guy Garcia

I work at a computer, and my last paid job with a significant physical component was lifeguard, but work isn't life. I have other skills that you would never see in an office.

1. Might as well start with the basics. I can start a fire without using paper or chemical accelerants.

2. I can empty and right a canoe that has capsized and filled with water without first moving to shallow water.

3. I can build a pasture fence, from digging the post holes to stretching the wire with one of these. Not all work shows up on the résumé, you know.

4. I am installing my own hardwood floor, starting with removing the old underlayment and repairing weak sections of the subfloor.

5. I can carry on an informed conversation on current events, whether we're talking about bank bailouts, Pakistan's increasing instability, or the local school reassignment situation.

I could go on, but I have to leave something for you. So put down your copy of the Duluth or Griot's catalog, and tell us what you can do. Killing spiders at your wife's request doesn't count. :-)

Tagging David Armano, Mack Collier, Mark Hopkins, Marshall Kirkpatrick , and Jake McKee, just in time for your Friday Fun posts.