My musings on masculinity #1 — Toxic Masculinity

blue and red superman print tank top shirt

First off, I wish to state right away I’m no poster boy for toxic masculinity! You know, in case this blog's title gives you that impression. I may on occasion have put myself out there in the public eye. But that's to talk about stay-home parenting or caregiving a special needs child, not toxic masculinity. … Continue reading My musings on masculinity #1 — Toxic Masculinity

On World Children’s Day – How a poolside encounter reminded me what truly counts

group of people taking photo

On World Children's Day, let me share about a recent poolside encounter. A couple of weeks ago, I overheard an interesting conversation between a male who looked to be in his late 50's and a young boy about my son's age of 12. The exchange took place at a neighbourhood pool where I go for … Continue reading On World Children’s Day – How a poolside encounter reminded me what truly counts

IMD 2021 — Towards better gender relationships

rear view of man sitting on rock by sea

What a difference a year makes to International Men's Day (IMD)! For those not in the know (and I'm guessing that's most of us!), there really is such a thing as an annual IMD, and it's happening in two days' time on Nov 19. A year ago, I wrote about IMD. At that time, I … Continue reading IMD 2021 — Towards better gender relationships

A “council of wise men” for my sons?

three men sitting on veranda

Ever since Avengers Endgame, I've taken to telling my sons each night before bedtime that I love them "3,000". Those who watched the film will know what I mean. {For those who didn't, stay with me til the end of this post and I'll tell you.} Since they were babies, I've always tucked my boys … Continue reading A “council of wise men” for my sons?

Even with special needs dads, it’s still about men ‘doing’ not ‘being’

Photo by MD Duran on Unsplash This is a cautionary tale about what happens when men come together. Cautionary, at least, for men like me who are more into 'being' than 'doing'. Let me explain. I still remember the meetings. A few of us fathers with special needs children started coming together in 2019 to … Continue reading Even with special needs dads, it’s still about men ‘doing’ not ‘being’

International MEN’S Day?! Today? Shut up!

Photo by BROTE studio on Pexels.com That's right. You heard me. Today's International Men's Day! Well, all I can say is... WHAT??!! I mean we're all over the place when it comes to the women, right? There's the far more famous annual International Women's Day (IWD) on March 8th, which I wrote about before. Also, … Continue reading International MEN’S Day?! Today? Shut up!

C’mon men, enough with the small talk! We’re pass 50 already for cryin’ out loud

So, fair warning: This maybe just the beginning! Today I'm going to start a post that's either of two things: a one-off piece, or the start of a series. (Fingers crossed, I should know by the end of it!) Why so indecisive you ask? Well, quite frankly, it's been a thorn in my flesh for … Continue reading C’mon men, enough with the small talk! We’re pass 50 already for cryin’ out loud

Of Cerebral Conversations and Cognitive Connections

I'm always looking for opportunities to spend time with people who stimulate me intellectually. That's something not difficult to do when I was still plugged into my previous full-time lecturing work. There, I had easy access to what I refer to as 'cerebral colleagues' (as opposed to the 'coffee chit chat colleagues'), as well as … Continue reading Of Cerebral Conversations and Cognitive Connections

2020: Stitching. Shrinking. Slowing. Sleeping. Silencing. Singling. Searching. Seeking. Surrendering. Saving. Surging. Surpassing.

On this the first day of 2020, I've decided to break down here what I plan to do with it. For starters, I will prioritise writing on a daily basis, five days a week (Tue - Sat), 750 words each day. No exceptions. I know I've said this on numerous occasions, but it's gotten to … Continue reading 2020: Stitching. Shrinking. Slowing. Sleeping. Silencing. Singling. Searching. Seeking. Surrendering. Saving. Surging. Surpassing.

Pruning to Fulfilling

Been giving some thought recently about cutting down ties in order to 'downsize' relationships to something more manageable, more purposeful, more fulfilling. According to Carl Honore in his book "Bolder: Making the most of our longer lives", studies have shown that from around 50 years of age, we begin to trim down and streamline relationships, … Continue reading Pruning to Fulfilling