It's probably true that every man (and many women) wonders at some point what it is to be a man. Masculinity. Testosterone. Other buzzwords. Some men think that masculinity is modern rape and pillage. Some women think so, too. Some men think that masculinity is being able to be a woman, sometimes. Some women hope this is not true. There are those of us who see and acknowledge a quantum leap between biological human men and the things that we are now. While once we performed outrageous feats of strength and athleticism merely as a daily necessity, we now throw up after running 10 kilometres. Do you hear what I am saying now?
One of my favorite blogs recently pointed out one of my favorite truisms. Scientists and the such rebuilt Viking longboats and tried to replicate their, um, adventures. They used Olympic rowers, but found that it was impossible to conduct the same things that the Vikings are documented to have conducted for hundreds of years. It was too hard for Olympic rowers (considered the best rowing athletes in the world, apparently) to power Viking long ships. It was too difficult to navigate with their technology. It was too cold. Is this registering? Some of our best living athletes could not even temporarily perform the task that peoples of old routinely performed. ROUTINELY. There is something missing.
Has anyone thought about work? What does this have to do with the world? What does this have to do with being men, and being women? What did your money...save? Prevent? Create? I don't think there are answers to these questions, of course. This is something that most everyone thinks about. It is related to the question of masculinity. I think that, biologically, it is very much related. People like to think of the differences between men and women as being the differences between "Hunters" and "Gatherers." I don't think that it is this simple, of course. Cavewomen, as I will refer to them, probably hunted a ton as well. They were bigger than modern women. Most muscular. More like what modern people consider men to be? Don't know. The point is that they were well equipped. They were strong. They were vicious and biologically inclined, and they killed. Is killing the key? I hope not. Or, at least, if it is, I hope that nature does not abhor a metaphor. Men killed too, of course. Until civilization, men killed for dominance. Men killed for food. Men killed for sex. Dominance. Food. Sex. Not necessarily in this order, I suppose, but definitely IN. To be a man, it appears that you must care about domination. You must care about food. And you must care about sex. Don't be an idiot. Nothing I ever say is literal. Unless, I say it is.
It appears that every important thing any man has ever done that was great enough to be remembered by the collective consciousness was done for food, domination, or sex.
What would you kill for?
I am looking for something to dominate.
I am looking for food.
I am looking for sex.
"There must be something we can eat
Maybe find another lover...
...Try to see it once my way
Everything zen...
...There's no sex in your violence"
-Bush
