Young Men Can Just Do Things

But what things?

Young men in America need help. This is an obvious, well tread fact. Everything in our degenerated modern culture arrays against them seeking their subjugation and subsequent liquidation of their soul. It proclaims pursuit of money, fame, sex, whatever empty promise of power will get the job done. Even the churches play along now, offering little of solace and almost nothing of God.

So what is to be done? Well, come and see.

This missive is directed at men my own age, those in the prime of their life. To borrow from Shakespeare, the justices among us.

In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances

I’ve lived a time and have some things to say. There’s no plan for anyone’s life here, simply some observations hard earned and well considered. If you’re a younger guy, pull up a chair and listen in. This isn’t for you but I hope you’ll see what you should look for in mentors.

To the old farts, the Silverbacks, I beg your indulgence and forgiveness in advance. I don’t know what I don’t know.

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Strong men make good times. Good times make weak men. Weak men make bad times. Bad times make strong men. The wheel forever turns until it doesn’t.

Where are we now? At the precipice of bad times.

What does that make us? The weak men.

What can we hope for? Be the least weak.

Where does that start? Fear of the Lord.

God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

For I am evil and retarded.

Amen.

I say we’re the weak men in the same way a fish is wet. This is the reality of the world we inhabit. I’m sure there are extraordinary examples among us, but the vast majority? Not so much. For my own self, chronic illness proves my point. There are hard limits to what I can do, to what I can accomplish. Nietzche’s Uber mensch, I am not.

Plus that whole evil and retarded thing.

That said, it would be sin to conclude I have no role to play. No duty to discharge. Into the future I must focus. As the bad times unfold before us, we must sow the seeds of the strong men.

How is that done?

First and foremost, remember your death. The past is gone. The future is unwritten. There is only the present. What should you be doing, right now, to prepare the way? Beyond that, meditate on the day of your death so that when it comes you are not taken by surprise. Even if it’s a thief in the night, there’s a quiet confidence that comes from accepting the destiny of all men. Do this and you’ll stare the enemy straight in the eye:

My soul is prepared. How’s yours?

What next? Patience. Young men cannot be rushed. Cannot be hurried. Those are the weapons of the enemy, meant to bewilder and humiliate them. They will struggle, they will fuck up, they will make mistakes that may haunt them for the rest of their days.

That’s what young people do.

What we must focus on is building a foundation to see them through to the other side. When all the money, fame, and sex fades away something must remain. Something whole. Something strong. Something Good. The soul must endure. In bad times there are no shortcuts. Our young will know Job’s sorrow, at best. It’s our job to prepare them.

What next? Listen. This can only be done in relationship. Get to know the young men in your life. Share your opinions, share your preferences, tell your stories and in return witness their opinions, their preferences, and their stories. Even if they all suck. Especially if they all suck. They’re young, what do you expect? Shakespeare?

Besides, were you any better at that age? You were not. You’re evil and retarded too.

Finally? Cash in when the time is right. This year in school I got to know a young man named Ezequiel. He had the unfortunate luck of drawing my first period class. 7:30am in the morning, listening to Mr. Sobanii rant about the Roman Empire. I can hardly imagine a worse fate for one such as him.

But I kept at it. “Put your phone away. Sit up. Pay attention. Do you work.”

Sometimes a joke, sometimes a rebuke, sometimes a little mean, but always keeping in mind the greater purpose. Point this boy toward something Good. Something true. Something that will crack the crust of modern degeneracy layered upon us all.

Help him see the enchanted Creation.

At the end of the year, I unleashed my class final project. Part of it included a brief lesson on the James Webb Space Telescope. What it does, where it is, and most importantly how it works. The point was providing an example for the students of what kinds of things humans make for the depth of space. What we do. What kind of culture we create inspired by the environment we find ourselves in. Well, in this case a telescope. But you get the idea.

In any case, Ezequiel’s brother likes to hunt. His kit includes an infrared scope. Ezequiel wasn’t sure of the plan exactly, but he wanted to bring the device in and share it with the class.

So I said OK.

“Are you sure they’ll allow it?”

“Yeah, let me talk to admin and make sure. I mean, it’s not like you’re bringing a gun with it.”

“Ha, right!”

He forgot it the next day (forgive the boy, his life outside of school is a shit show), but eventually made it happen. It was great. We went around the room, looking at different objects. We went outside and looked around. Many of the students participated, including Kayden. She’s an equestrian. Her life is wasted at school, like Ezequiel, but she knows it too.

So the three of us spent the period looking at the world with different eyes. Seeing the unseen. Discovering there was more than meets the eye, quite literally. We shared something Good and because of this, that was the day Ezequiel passed my class.

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We are weak but we are not nothing and that makes all the difference.

Fellow justices, consider how you can sow the seeds of the great men that will end the coming bad times. Here I’ve recommended fear of the Lord, meditation upon your death, praying for patience, and cultivating a patient blade. Give the young men in your life eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to beat.

Young bucks, what questions do you have? Don’t be shy now.

Silverbacks, I won’t tell you what to do. Such is folly anyway.

Thanks for reading. I look forward to your comments.