Chauvinism

I am a chauvinist.

I don't mean that men are better than women. I don't mean that women should cook and men should drink beer and shout at the games on TV. I certainly don't mean that women are punching bags, literally or figuratively.

Quite simply, I mean that men and women are different. Furthermore, Viva la Difference!

Regardless of the efforts of some, a few thousand years of civilization can't possibly wipe out millions of years of evolution. Men are wired to be providers and protectors. That is our nature and it is an obvious survival trait designed to further the species. Don't expect me to apologize for my nature.

I will not apologize for it. I celebrate and embrace who I am. As a man, it is my job to protect and provide for my family. There is no job I'd rather have. It is my job to teach my children self-reliance and to smile as they take off on their bikes for some unsupervised play time. It's my job to make sure the doors are locked at night, the fire is burning in the winter, and food is available when needed.

Evolution has wired us with certain traits. An awful lot of the unhappiness in the world stems from fighting those traits instead of embracing and guiding them.

Unguided, our evolutionary decree runs a muck. Unchanneled aggression is assault and abuse. Channeled aggression is success. Undirected territoriality leads to gangs and turf wars. Directed, it leads to secure homes.

Our job, as men, is to protect and provide for our loved ones. There is no more sacred act.