However, what a great tribute this article is- reminds me somewhat of an article from Brett McKay’s artofmanliness.com on ‘finding your core values’ (though I must say your article struck a louder chord with me).

I’m 21 and lost my grandfather to cancer a few years ago but I remember the principles that (although he never really spoke about) he lived by so emphatically and try to emulate them myself.

I often wonder, what is it about our grandparents’ era that seems so much simpler, that made men seem more, well, manly?! Was it war? Compulsory service? The absence of soul-sapping technologies? Maybe, but as a member of the (doomed?!) ‘Generation Y’, I hope that the values of our grandparents do not die with them and that we too can live everyday confident that we are ‘doing the right thing’.

Guys like Gavin H. @servantofchaos and Tom M. (The Good Men Project) and Danny B. and YOU are redefining masculinity minus the over-rated stoicism and that’s wildly important as we progress toward humanity ascending.

One of the BEST things of my father’s aging/memory frustrations has been seeing him grapple with his own mortality with a sincerity and genuine sense of being human that knocks him off the pillar both familial and societal pressures have placed him upon.

That’s huge. And necessary to see and to BE in order to achieve the intimacy so often lacking between dads and daughters of a certain generation.

So thank YOU and your generation of men who dare to be real, be mindful, and be gentlemen of substance…you have much to teach the ‘other men’ out there swept up in the media machine of misogynistic crud defining manhood by notches/scores/thuggery and bravado. Onward, giants!
.-= Amy Jussel, Shaping Youth´s last blog ..Sexy Broccoli, Saucy 6 Year Olds & Why SexEd is a Must: SexTech Pt.3 =-.

Cheers!

This moved me deeply. I don’t think it’s over simplified at all. In fact, I think that is what we all need to recesses: simple, solid, and real values. It was enriching reading this. Not only the realizations that hit you and you seem to embrace on a deep level, about soon being the head of the family and seeing your grandfather and other relatives more clearly, but that strong desire in you (which I’ve seen so many times) to live a life from your heart. To live a life filled with harmony to others and Earth, a life of real value. You strike me as very earnest and genuine, both qualities that your grandfather had.

It did me good to read this as I too believe in these almost organic or grounded values. They are part of what keeps me sane in world that appears to have lost all sense of “true” values, a world that has all but forgotten what is important. We’ve forgotten to the point that more often than not we don’t see our connection to the living planet (which we can’t live without), we don’t see our connection to each other or the “real” goodness around us.

Unless we are constantly bombarding ourselves with TV, computer, iPod, cell phone and more we tend to feel like we are going crazy. To to let go, slow down, take time out from the bombardment to just “be”, and let peace, Nature, real connections with people and Life back into our hearts and souls is a HUGE step to remembering our values.

I loved this article and see it as a beautiful reflection of YOU. I think you are ALREADY leaving a deeply precious legacy for generations to come, and will also make a very remarkable head of the family. I am proud of you and thank you for choosing to live consciously. You make my world a better place too.

Thank you and hugs,
Robin
.-= Robin Easton´s last blog ..What Does “Naked in Eden” Mean? =-.

Your grandpa sounds like he was a wonderful guy. If times were different, perhaps he’d have been one of the leaders that we see building paths online?

There does seem to be a gap between generations where we lost direction. It’s coming back – I see it every day where people stand up to make a difference. But it’s a slow haul – at least it’s started, though, and that’s the main thing.

Thanks again for an insightful and open post.

Without male role models to influence these principles and virtues the learning curve can be long and painful through much trial and error.

Derek, you are very blessed that your grandfather has left you a legacy from which to build the foundation of your life and instill good values in your own children.

My grandparents have been gone for a long time. But your blog post is so ‘timeless’. We have become so caught up in the “here and now” that we’ve forgotten the “then and there”.

Values have changed: now it’s “live for the day”. What about the consequences for the decisions and actions we make and take? When did that all fly out the window? I think Madison Avenue has taken us down the pea patch.

Unfortunately, some of us parents have gone along with the kids to be sucked into the instant gratification era. We need a shock of reality. Perhaps that’s what this economic mess is all about. A “hello?” to all of us to stop and think about how we got here.

Great post my friend. Great post.

Adam