Comments on: Are the Suburbs Killing Your Manhood?

By: AnnElisse

AnnElisse — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:55:03 +0000

You could say the same thing about a city or metro area, although its fashionable to bash the burbs. Thank God there’s more to being a man than just mixing it up with nature, right? There is refinement, education, spiritual formation, manners. To paraphrase Mr. Darcy: “Every savage can camp.”

By: senatorrosewater

senatorrosewater — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:19:04 +0000

if you liked this article, you’d like Babbit by Sinclair Lewis.

I won’t give away the ending, but will say that it fits with this theme.

By: Adam

Adam — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:48:28 +0000

Funny me and my pal were just talking about how the surburben life sucks, and how men needs danger and risks in life.. must be destiny..!

By: natural ponds

natural ponds — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 02:26:41 +0000

A man’s soul shall rot in a cradle of safety.

By: Chip Bell

Chip Bell — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:34:30 +0000

I compleatly understand about challenging your self etc and not geting soft of leting fear rule you or what ever. What I don’t understand is why any one would want to link it to that “manhood” crap All that has done is but our genitals above our minds I know plenty of women who can do all this stuff. I won’t even date a girl if she’s not a feminist lest I wind up with some sissy “girly girl” who want’s her daddy to protect her. There is NOTHING special about being male. It’s the mind that counts being sentient able to think. Maleness is a mere accident of birth.

By: Sunnyday

Sunnyday — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 01:34:37 +0000

Hi there. Very insightful post here.

By: EcoAussie

EcoAussie — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:56:28 +0000

Really enjoyed that…my next house will be on water with lots of land.

By: MikeonTV

MikeonTV — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:32:23 +0000

Having grown up in the Suburbs I can say that I am damn happy I will never again be in the mentality of feeling I should live there again!`

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 08:43:31 +0000

so true, we dont have burbs as such over here(nz) but it is getting that way, you tell someone that your off to the hills for a week instead of going to the pub most people have no clue on what your talking about.

By: Brett

Brett — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 16:24:20 +0000

@Anonymouse-

Thanks for the clarification. I get what you’re saying now.

As far as our “peak” goes, I’d just like to point out that the pull-ups post was posted only 2 weeks ago. So it’s a little premature I’d say to think that in the last 2 weeks we’ve suddenly fallen off the wagon. Like any publication, some weeks will be enjoyed by some readers more than others.

By: Anonumouse

Anonumouse — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:57:12 +0000

@Brett – I was defending the suburbs against those, like Mr. Goetz and this article’s author, who say they are safe and controlled. My pedestrian advice was intended as a riposte. Perhaps I should have enumerated which myths about suburbia I was concerned about.

As for this blog’s peak, I would say it was the article about soda. I also enjoyed the articles about pocket squares and pull-ups. I’m currently reading a biography of Teddy Roosevelt, as also mentioned on this blog.

By: Ken

Ken — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:37:18 +0000

We all hear a lot of suburb-bashing from those who would like to cram us all back into the the squalid urban wastelands from which we escaped (I exaggerate for effect). Keep in mind that the growth of suburbs is a direct consequence of the crime, high taxes, corrupt government and failed educational systems of our urban centers. People escape when they can, because they can, and want something better.

That said, I agree with the author’s point about the manhood-numbing effect of a life without challenges. At the age of 40 I felt like life was beginning to pass me by. It had all become too safe, too dull and too easy. So I decided to do something about it. First I did bike rides across Kansas and Missouri. Then with the encouragement of a supportive girlfriend (now my wife), I decided to pursue my childhood dream of getting my pilot’s license. I also decided to marry said girlfriend and start my own business. No guarantee of success in any of those ventures, but I’m a lot more challenged and happy than I ever was before I stopped playing it safe.

Risk! It’s what being a man is all about.

By: Cameron Schaefer

Cameron Schaefer — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:56:42 +0000

@ Lee,

It was a joke as in “haha”…guess you didn’t think it was that funny.

By: Brett

Brett — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:52:37 +0000

@Anonymouse-

From your incoherent comment I honestly can’t tell if you like the suburbs or hate them. At any rate, I don’t think you understand the point of the post.

As far as jumping the shark…if that’s the case, when would you say we had our glorious peak? Do enlighten me.

By: Anonymouse

Anonymouse — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:49:40 +0000

Wow, this site has really jumped the shark. First, an environmentalist chick defines manhood. Now we have urbanist vitirol.

Mr. Goetz is from my suburb! A nearby metropolitan newspaper gleefully interviewed him to make the point that suburbanities are subhuman. I sent him an email and my advice to him is the same to those of you who buy into the myths about suburbia… Simply get rid of your car (and all motorized vehicles).

The suburbs are too safe? Try crossing multi-lane roads, even at the designated pedestrian crossings. Need a manly challenge? Try carrying your groceries a mile or two from the store in inclement weather.