I want to talk about the world at large, I really do. I want to talk about Trump and Putin and the middle east and the stuff on all continents. There’s trouble in Africa and South America – Christ, There’s even trouble in the arctic -we might all be underwater soon, and no one is doing anything about the asteroid threat – we might be wiped out at any minute.
So… there’s all that.
And there’s my girls.
You haven’t met my girls. They are fucking amazing.
My mother makes the best soup in the history of soup. Even my daughters say so and they hate anything that isn’t promoted on youtube by a Californian teenager.
My wife teaches children -and not just our children – she’s just a teacher. Which says all that needs to be said
My daughters are creatures of pure empathy. They worry about others – they don’t even understand selfishness yet. They are 10 and 8 years old.
And I haven’t even mentioned my friends:Some of whom have put up with my shit even longer than my wife has (although not longer than my mother) and they still all count me as a friend. Some of them deal with kids, some deal with criminals….
These are my women – I would love to show you pictures of them – and frankly they deserve that level of recognition at the bare minimum but with the world being what it is they shouldn’t have to endure pain just because they happen to love me.
And they do love me. I know this.
It is the one thing that keeps me alive.
Their love is like gravity – you don’t see it, you don’t even feel it. It’s just there. It keeps you grounded, it keeps you attached to the world.
And they do love me. I know this.
Which is all very well, we have heard such platitudes before, but what’s the point?
Well, I am glad you asked. Why, indeed, do they love me?
And the answer is not a popular one. The answer is…because I am a man.
They love me as a person – and I know that – but the fact of the matter is that I could not be that person, I could not be the subject of that love if I was not a man.
Men can be evil creatures. Make no mistake, I am sure that I can be an evil creature. But… but….
We’re not that creature… are we?
We’re mostly not monsters, we’re mostly not snakes or evil or… in fact… we’re mostly fucking angels.
Think about it. Think about the men in your life.
Yes. Some are… wankers. And then… some are even worse.
But for most people. Let’s be honest… for most girls… their guardian, their protector… is a bloke.
I look at my girls – all of them (daughters, wife, mother, friends) and I am speechless. They render me wordless in their perfection.
Yes, you can criticise men – and you are right to do so – we’ll take that.
But here’s what else we’ll take.
We’ll take your worries.
We’ll take your doubts.
We’ll fight your enemies.
We’ll lift you up.
We’ll stand behind you.
We’ll stand in front.
We’ll take the blame.
We’ll do all of these things because we love you. Because we are men.
Men get a bad rap. But I see all my women – and I know I would give my life for them. Not in any metaphorical sense you understand. I look at my daughters and know… I would gladly die for them.
They don’t even have to ask.
That’s what men are.
Turn around. And ,if you have a man in your life, take a look at him… chances are he’ll give his
life for you, he will lay down and die – because men are like that.
We can be better, you need to help us, we can be…
Oh, you’ll see.
