Y

(...continued)

As a full-fledged, life-long member of the XY-chromosome-carrying half of the Earth's population, I have come to understand why males exists and what we are on this planet for. Congruently, I have also seen man's place in the grand scheme of things -- in relation to the opposite sex and to society as a whole. Appreciation and love for being created a man has developed over the years, whereas in the past, resistance and avoidance were my prevailing attitude toward it. 

There are a lot of aspects about being a male that I have grown quite fond of and found useful in life.

Being laid back

Generally speaking, men are not at all fussy about... everything! We're basically wash-and-wear, finger-comb-our-hair, give-very-little-care-about-the-outfits-we-wear kind of creatures. That's just inherent in our makeup. Us guys can use the same pair of jeans for days, even weeks on end and not really mind it. I love the fact that we can have just a few items in our closets and still make it through weeks without needing to buy anything new... or washing anything old.

Not easily fazed

A typical male has a built in risk-seeking, danger-confronting, and challenge-conquering gene that lends itself to a man's need to pursue lofty goals or lovely girls, hunt for the evening's dinner or haul heavy equipment, and to face the daily problems at work or fight the constant pang of fear. This I especially appreciate in the midst of life's varied adversities and violent adversaries.

Opportunistic

Yet another male characteristic that I've come to use frequently in my life is a man's opportunism. In the negative sense, it connotes the ability to take advantage of any situation regardless of consequences. But in the positive, it shows a man's ability to strike while the iron is hot, and to seize propitious moments when a window to do so presents itself.

Sure, we may be generally laid back and be seemingly drifting away in our "nothing box"* at times, but when we see an opportunity to do something good and productive, we'll grab the bull by the horns and get things done.

Lastly, and this is what I love the most about being a man...

Firm decision-making

When a guy sets his mind to do something, he will do it. When a guy has given his word, he will keep it. Again, we're speaking generally here, because certainly there are exceptions to the rule. But on the whole,  a man usually takes time to weigh things before making a commitment because he knows that when the decision is made, he is not going to take it back.

And although I have said in a previous blog entry that being the chief decision-maker would not be my first choice of position if given the chance to pick a spot on a team, this innately male characteristic of being able to make and stick to decisions is my favorite aspect about me being a man. I don't usually run to meet decision-making scenarios head on, but in the last few years I have learned to embrace it and make the most out of every opportunity to decide... and stand by my decisions.

Of course, we men, as well as women, are far from perfect, but knowing our gender-specific characteristics, roles and abilities -- and learning to appreciate and love our gender's uniquenesses -- will help us better adjust at living life with the opposite sex.

*A Tale of Two Brains, by Mark Gungor