Even Today’s Trophy’s Are Weak, Who Wants To Attain To… Plastic?

As an EMERGING MAN what are you looking to, as a trophy of your manliness?

It’s been studied in African Lions that those with large black manes have more testosterone and are more aggressive and bold.

And for a real lion… those are good traits to have.

With his “trophy” of a mature, flowing, mane… the world at large… can spot him, right off, as a POTENTIAL coalition partner; potential mate; or a potential threat.

When Mike Tyson wrapped the professional boxing, heavy weight championship belt, around his waist… the world at large saw the same things in him.

An EMERGING MAN… is a changing man. An EMERGING MAN needs to have his personal trophy’s. You can say, “The win was nice. I’m just glad for the opportunity to compete.”

It sounds nice. It sounds professional. On camera.

But then they go in the clubhouse and go BONKERS huggin’ and kissin’ the CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY!

I’ve been around long enough to have witnessed, in little league baseball, trophy’s that were made with solid marble bottoms and pewter figurines, with a real nut and bolt holding everything together… to some pretty flimsy plastic construction, then to a winning “medal”, and in some instances… just a ribbon. [In defense of ribbons, ribbons are cool, if it is a ribbon worthy contest.]

**editorial note: I have some ribbons.

It’s almost impossible not to look at other men and fall into a comparison trap that holds you fast… and, this is critical… IN PLACE.

If you are just EMERGING, and you’ve seen another man with something that you would like to have in your own life… but when you compare it to where you are now… it robs the joy from your heart… then you are looking at it all wrong.

But if you look at it and think, “I wonder what my potential could be if I… e.g. started to work out, started to budget my money, started to talk to the ladies, or took up archery?” Then you are using “the picture” of what that other gentleman has shown you to create for yourself a worthy goal… a noble personal battle… an enemy target… that when you “win”, when you “get there”, you will feel, maybe for the first time in your life… true victory, true accomplishment!

And there is no better way to celebrate that victory than with a TROPHY as a reminder of all you hard work, dedication, and effort.

I am starting to believe that I have only experienced true victory, true accomplishment, four times in my life. [As a side note: I’m setting aside the birth of my children, and first grandchild… because those are different feelings.]

We are talking about victory… NOT, getting the work done. To me… work is just work. It’s just work. I will be looking into that feeling in the future.

Here are my four times…

1. 1980 Little League, City Championship, starting pitcher, played for The Lions.
2. 1990 Got married, told my mom afterwards, “Walking down the aisle, after it was over I felt like jumping up and clicking my heels!” Her response, “Why didn’t you?”
3. 2021 January, Marine Physical Fitness Test, completed with numbers that placed me in a ten year younger bracket, main learning point… learned how to tell my INNER CRITIC to get bent on my 3 mile run. Completing it for the first time without stopping!
4. 2021 September, Biometric Health Screen at work, used it like a “weigh in” day if I was boxing. I wanted to get down to 168lbs in a healthy and strong fashion. Nailed it!

No wonder I was depressed for so long.

Little League trophy’s are just another item that have been made out to mean… nothing… in today’s… “Everybody gets a participation ribbon” culture of crap.

It’s just another way to diminish little boys aspirations to be “big and strong!”

I’m not talking about a very “public” show of winning… but that… deep within your heart… aching that every little boy has of, “can I do it?”

As children we depend on the adults to show us the way, in a positive fashion, to help us, to mold us, into the men our society could count on when we get big… I feel like a little boy who didn’t make it to the boat on time, metaphorically speaking, concerning learning how to be a man… I was at the tail end of the last crowd… who didn’t make it to the dock… and the manliness steam ship… had literally just set sail… apparently on its last cruise… never to be seen again.

A lions black mane is one trophy… but there are so many trophy’s a man could acquire… and remember… the trophy’s job is just to remind you of that one day, that one game, that one 3 mile run… or the time you were with your second oldest son, when he was twelve, and it was his first time in the deer woods, and he bags a big eight pointer, with one shot, from a borrowed, open sighted, lever action .30-30 rifle.

Come to think of it that might be my 5th time experiencing ACCOMPLISHMENT!

An Emerging Man… will ENCOURAGE… go ahead, take up something that’s hard, see how you do.

An Emerging Man… will EQUIP… I’ve given you a picture of myself, as one who is trying to attain to his personal best potential… you can follow suit.

An Emerging Man… will ENGAGE… drop a note, or picture, of a trophy of yours in the comments, all the photos I used for this article are mine.

As an Emerging Man it’s time decide what it is you are gonna do!

Set… the clear GOAL.

Set… what will be your TROPHY when your goal is reached.

Set… how you will CELEBRATE that VICTORY, that ACCOMPLISHMENT.

Enjoy the day!

Then… back at it tomorrow.