I have often wished that some kind of revitalization of the best traits in men would occur. Right now, the male stereotypes are all about being pigs with crazy sex-drives and being lazy couch potatoes among other things. I wish there was some sort of new movement representing some of the better traditional manly traits such as protecting others. This would give young men something to strive for instead of what is out there now.

Maybe you have started something here .

Stefanie’s last blog post..There is Nothing Good or Bad; but Thinking Makes it So

I’ve resigned to the fact that this blog will have far fewer posts than most, yet they will be longer than most posts. I figure that if it is worth writing about, then it will be written in the length that is required (and I think this one is the longest post yet).

I’m not sure if we can become a society of loners given the connectivity through technology that is available, however, the paranoia will likely increase dramatically..

“Turn up at people’s doorstep in need, instead of calling.” – that would make a great blog post!

One thing is certain, though, and that’s that this collective paranoia dehumanizes us. I for one very deliberately (but also very carefully) try to break down barriers we don’t know we’ve built around us. Ask personal questions. Give a hug when comfort is needed, instead of words. Turn up at people’s doorstep in need, instead of calling.

It’s intrusive, and I’m sometimes making myself uncomfortable when I do this sort of thing, but if we don’t, we’ll end up being a society of loners, and thus no society at all.

There are others like myself, our numbers are growing, and it’s now time to start making some noise before we get forgotten about and wind up lumped in with the murderers and rapists…

When I was almost sixteen I took exam and became a lifeguard for our local swimming pool. Even though I only held that job for about ten weeks, I have been a lifeguard ever since. I cannot help it. I am always looking out for someone’s safety.

Much like you. You did the right thing watching her, although I would have told her “Since you are about and it is late, I will keep an eye on you and your dog until you return.” This would have put her at ease and you know, it’s always nice to feel like someone would come to your aid if needed.

There aren’t enough gentlemen in the world and there is too much acceptable violence on tv and in the movies. I can barely stand to watch the news or read the papers anymore. Somehow good men, like you, should bring the others round to your code of ethics and spread the word to be good men again.

One last thing. When I was growing up, Capitol Punishment was in effect. We didn’t have to worry about going missing or being harmed. It was truly liberating and almost perfect freedom. By the time I was seventeen or eighteen I started looking over my shoulder and walking faster. By 1988, the S__t hit the fan. People had guns and were using them. It is very frightening now and I urge women and men to take precautions and to be safe.

Yours is a truly excellent piece. Thank you.

We have a society where people are either too afraid to act, or better yet, they just assume the worst.

Michael Dycus just did a post where a woman was being hassled by the CEO’s son, and Michael took the lad to task. It’s a brilliant post and it’s a perfect example of what needs to be done. I wonder how many people would have done nothing, or would have simply given a verbal scolding – which is about as useful as dehydrated water…

Like with Grimly, I do hope there is a backlash where common sense gets beaten into a few more people. We can’t apply sunblock to kids our frying in the sun? Heck, if it were in the USA, the teacher would either be sued for letting someones kid fry, OR, be jailed for molestation.. Protecting the innocent? Nah, doesn’t happen anymore….

I used to teach SCUBA diving and I remember a big section of the training being how to properly grab hold of student’s equipment so that you weren’t raping or molesting them…

Seriously. There are certain times when teaching students where you must make physical contact with them (typically simply grabbing hold of some of the buoyancy compensating device so student doesn’t float away from you), however, one parent who doesn’t know what’s going on, or one woman who thinks you are groping her, and all of a sudden you’re in a world of trouble. Keep someone from being killed underwater vs. being accused of rape or molestation… Thanks, but it’s not a decision I would like to make or have made for me!