Everyone has their own idea of what it takes to be a man and as with a lot of females my perspective of that is built around both the positive and negative experiences I’ve had with men over the years. I can tell you that I do not believe I could have asked for a better example of what a man should be for my sons. Larry not only has verbalized to them his feelings on the subject but has led by example. As parents we always wonder/worry if we did right by our kids and though there is always room for improvement, I believe Larry was and still is an exceptional father to our boys and a shining example of what it takes to be a man.
Everyone has their opinion / perspective / vision of what it means to "be a man".
For me personally, there is no better definition than this song. It's off of the album Third Stage released in 1986 - when I was 15 years old. So a very awkward, impressionable age if I recall correctly. At that age you're looking in the mirror facing down all the "problems" you have (oh if we only knew to just relish that time in our lives because we hadn't even begun to understand the true definition of "problems").
To say this song influenced me as a person would be the understatement of the year.
To this day, I'm not quite sure how well I did as a parent. The old "I could have done better; I should have done better" creeps in. But I know for a fact I played this song for both of my sons and talked to them about what it meant to me. Because being a music nerd / band geek, I obviously didn't influence / nurture a lot of sports related passions. Though I did try with a dirt bike and motorsports.
One of the things I know I did right - my love of music does persist in both of my sons - so I'll take that win...
P.S. As I'm writing this, I'm thinking about what I wrote for I Could Never Say Goodbye. That entry is a prime example of this songs influence on my life - and the link between these two was purely unintentional.
To Be A Man
What does it take to be a man? What does it take to see It's all heart and soul A gentle hand?
So easy to want and so hard to give How can you be a man Until you see beyond the life you live?
Oh, what does it take to be a man?
We can be blind, but a man tries to see It takes tenderness For a man to be what he can be
And what does it mean If you're weak or strong? A gentle feeling Can make it right or make it wrong
What does it take to be a man?
The will to give and not receive The strength to say what you believe The heart to feel what others feel inside To see what they can see
A man is something that's real It's not what you are It's what you can feel It can't be too late To look through the hate and see
Ghost of a Chance 