“An Experience” by Tyler Cox
"Here, this will help," Brian said as he tossed me the book. It was thinner than I had come to expect most books to be, however.
"I don't know man. I've always seen these types of books as a way for people to make money to tell you something you already know."
Brian skipped a beat. "Well the good news is you didn't have to pay for it, ha ha."
The next morning, the book is in my hand, it opens and there are a few underlined sentences. I storm through a few pages, the foreword was boring, and go up against the first chapter. “Deep in a man's heart are some fundamental questions that simply cannot be answered at the kitchen table. Who am I? What am I made of? What am I destined for? It is fear that keeps a man at home where things are neat and orderly and under his control.”
Brian and I went across each other during the work day. "So... what did you think about it?"
I give a shrug in response. "It's alright, just hang on I haven't gotten that far into it yet, I want to know more before I make an opinion." I replied with a smile.
On a bench with soft pine needles under my feet, and a sky filled with battling grey's and white's, I continued reading. The chef had shoved his most savoury dish in front of me, this time. I found what I was looking for... what it meant to be a man.
I had the an epiphany of sorts, realizing that I was on the verge of my adult life, and my ideas of manhood were slim, and near impossible to reach. Brian decided to give me a good start on the adventure of my life. A passage hit me in the face while reading it. The author wrote of a lion in a zoo “after years of living in a cage, a lion no longer believes it’s a lion... and a man no longer believes he is a man”. I read it, and read it again. It made sense, a man spends more time caged, and told to stay within the norm of society. Some big hint it drew upon was that the media put forth the idea that a man is a loner, who does not need anybody ever, and whoever does, is weak.
"I think it is time for a change. I know that the ideas of this text are sound. I will strive to boldly face new challenges without it affecting me," I thought.
The next day was a fresh start on things. I thought, but ideas are always more difficult in actual practice.
Brian went up to me. “How about now? Ha, ha.”
“It’s good, I get it, the part about the wound that every man has. You know some experience that marked a man for the worst, and he’s supposed to keep it bottled inside, and move on. But then it only festers and grow deeper, ha, like an actual wound without treatment. I just now want to deal with it, so I am not afraid to face the wilderness.”
“You know what the wilderness really means right?” He said expecting the right answer.
“Ya, it’s some new experience. It could be something small you know. Like meeting new people or something. Or literally going into the wilderness for a time.”
“Now do it, ha ha.”
“Ya, right. First things first though. I’ve got to face my wounds."
"I don't know man. I've always seen these types of books as a way for people to make money to tell you something you already know."
Brian skipped a beat. "Well the good news is you didn't have to pay for it, ha ha."
The next morning, the book is in my hand, it opens and there are a few underlined sentences. I storm through a few pages, the foreword was boring, and go up against the first chapter. “Deep in a man's heart are some fundamental questions that simply cannot be answered at the kitchen table. Who am I? What am I made of? What am I destined for? It is fear that keeps a man at home where things are neat and orderly and under his control.”
Brian and I went across each other during the work day. "So... what did you think about it?"
I give a shrug in response. "It's alright, just hang on I haven't gotten that far into it yet, I want to know more before I make an opinion." I replied with a smile.
On a bench with soft pine needles under my feet, and a sky filled with battling grey's and white's, I continued reading. The chef had shoved his most savoury dish in front of me, this time. I found what I was looking for... what it meant to be a man.
I had the an epiphany of sorts, realizing that I was on the verge of my adult life, and my ideas of manhood were slim, and near impossible to reach. Brian decided to give me a good start on the adventure of my life. A passage hit me in the face while reading it. The author wrote of a lion in a zoo “after years of living in a cage, a lion no longer believes it’s a lion... and a man no longer believes he is a man”. I read it, and read it again. It made sense, a man spends more time caged, and told to stay within the norm of society. Some big hint it drew upon was that the media put forth the idea that a man is a loner, who does not need anybody ever, and whoever does, is weak.
"I think it is time for a change. I know that the ideas of this text are sound. I will strive to boldly face new challenges without it affecting me," I thought.
The next day was a fresh start on things. I thought, but ideas are always more difficult in actual practice.
Brian went up to me. “How about now? Ha, ha.”
“It’s good, I get it, the part about the wound that every man has. You know some experience that marked a man for the worst, and he’s supposed to keep it bottled inside, and move on. But then it only festers and grow deeper, ha, like an actual wound without treatment. I just now want to deal with it, so I am not afraid to face the wilderness.”
“You know what the wilderness really means right?” He said expecting the right answer.
“Ya, it’s some new experience. It could be something small you know. Like meeting new people or something. Or literally going into the wilderness for a time.”
“Now do it, ha ha.”
“Ya, right. First things first though. I’ve got to face my wounds."
