Toughest place to be a man

The toughest place to be a man is right here in the 21^st century. “Man under fire” is the new buzzword for intelligent feminists everywhere. Certainly some men need a rocket strapped to their derrieres to get them moving but men are having a hard times in the bleak house of modern relationships.

Men are a different kind of animal and every woman knows it. It’s preposterous to ever believe that woman was created from the rib of man…surely from his first (and maybe last) brain cell! To be fair, men are from Mars so those of us on Venus are not surprised by their antics.

Being a man is tough and being a real man even tougher or near impossible. A man does the bare minimum and a real man goes the extra mile. There are some who fall into the latter category but too many of the former.

A man only changes for the better when he’s put under extreme pressure from either being thrown into prison for a long stretch or when there’s something in it for him. The selfish gene is live and kicking and can be evidenced daily by the most innocuous of tasks.

Just ask the man (or men) in your life to cut the grass, empty the trash, put up decorations or paint or  fix a shelf then you’ll notice an intertia that takes hold. Men are made of resistant materials and their reluctance to remain on task can be incredulous.

You have to have a little sympathy for a man since they’re trying to emulate the superior sex and they’re lagging far behind in the high performance stakes. The most important thing is that they’re trying……maybe too trying!!

In the 21^st century, man is called on to be not merely  co-breadwinner but an emotional support to his family. This is where it gets really tough for some men. When they’re required for a shoulder to cry on, words of comfort, the offer of money or general lightening of the emotional load then you might find that you’re co-habiting with the weakest link.

A man in this century has to be sensitive to the needs of his nearest and dearest. Sensitivity is like an unused muscle in men and they need satellite navigation to find it!! Some look but don’t know what it is that they’re searching for. Some wouldn’t know it if it hit them on the head. Some just don’t care whilst others pretend to….but they’re fooling no one.

The greatest issue that men face is that women are no longer filling in for their inadequacies. A woman of intelligence and healthy self esteem is no longer willing to prop up their “worse-halves”(known in the previous century as “better-halves”).

Men have been hiding behind their false egos for too long. They have been lauding it over women and children as the know-it-alls and be-alls of their domain (home and castle). Their weapons of choice to conquer and demean are anger, intimidation and violence.

This hellish trinity has brought down many a good woman and home. You only have to look at the stream of single men and women (divorcees and unconfirmed singletons) shopping for one or two in the supermarket and you get the picture. A tin of baked beans and spam don't make for a fun night in!

If a way to man’s heart is through his stomach then men are taking a hit in it this century. Lovingly prepared meals, cuddles on the sofa and good night kisses will only feature on the latest “Oxo” TV ad campaign.

But the tide is turning and men are being educated. Men born in the 21^st century are the most fortunate as they’re going to learn a lot quicker that woman is no lightweight. A man, if he cares to become real, will have to lose the anger and arm himself with respect and kindness. He’ll know that kitchen duties are shared and that washing machines can be loaded and switched on by either sex. It’s a revelation that even child-rearing can be engaged in with great gusto since paternity leave was granted. Babies need fathers changing nappies and breaking rest and that seems to have been lost in the 20^th century.

So what was lost can be regained but man has to evolve into a newer version of himself to save his species and women may have to quit acting like men (being mother, father, chef, gardener, designer, driver all rolled into one) to assist them in this initiative.

Men will be multi-taskers in this century and even sensitive souls and that’s got to be their toughest assignment yet!