What should a real man/woman be capable of achieving in a lifetime?

[CSEMARTIN]

Specialization is for insects!

And surgeons!

+1 on keeping your daughter off the pole.

[bkoby]

[iF]

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you

But make allowance for their doubting too,

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,

If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breath a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much,

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

[John Dunn]

Best 1st post ever!

[dajarrel]

To live my life in such a way that if I notice a little boy or girl trying to act like me, that I'll not be ashamed of what they may have seem me do or heard me say.

fwiw

dj

Edited July 31, 2008 by dajarrel

[bkoby]

Thank you Mr Dunn.

[GentlemanJim]

I tend to think that a real man is a real man not because of what he has done but because of how he lives his life. A real man is honest, hard-working, courageous, kind to women and animals. A real man is not afraid to change the diapers or be a good father, but he does not wear sandals, thongs or lacey under garments. A real man eats red meat and does not care about fads, trends or political correctness.

A real man will be skilled in many areas and avenues of life, but not in all of them. Because a real man is dependable, consistent and loyal and not blowing around from place to place trying out everything under the sun. A real man is not concerned about what he gets to do in his life, but rather is concerned about his family, community and his country and contributing to these.

A real man does not fire up the chainsaw when one or two whacks with an Axe will do the trick. A real man does not talk guff and he does not tolerate it from others. He does not whine. He is not afraid to speak his mind.

Being a real man is more about character in my mind that a list that can be checked off. A real man may look completely different from another, and their experiences can be completely different as well. But as far as the things that count there will be some overlap.

my $.02.

This one here...commands my respect

Jim