"America's Young Men Are Falling Even Further Behind"
I can't get this article out of my head. I see myself in it. When I was younger, that was me. No one was listening. And maybe if that is only partially true - it is also true there were penalties if I spoke.
One of the heartbreaking things about this is a lost and suffering young man in the article (who represents them all, imo) says he is the reason he cannot move forward, he is getting in his own way. I have lived for many years where he's at.
This culture does not talk about patriarchy. For as necessary as this article is - it doesn't even mention it! Do you know what the definition of patriarchy is? So, a problem continues and will metastasize if we cannot even name it to fight it.
We have been sold the lie that if we do not have the thing we want or have achieved a goal it is a moral failure on our part, the individual. We "didn't work hard enough." So long as this society makes us believe we, and not it, are indictable, the status quo of narrow lived experiences for all and unquantifiable suffering will continue on schedule.
The multi-generational emotional neglect of boys, abandonment, "tough it out," "figure it out" is what got us here and it will require all of us together to undo what has been done.
We are all here to be cycle breakers in this way. To educate ourselves and each other as to the damage patriarchal domination has done and continues to do.
It's very easy for everybody to say they want to be a good neighbor or "good Christian" until it's time to do the sometimes uncomfortable good neighbor shit.
One day soon you will be old. But only those who have put in the work will have earned the title of trustworthy "elder."
Choose well with what's left of the time you have here.