a question we often ask ourselves...

thought I would serve up a little reading for this President's Day.  over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal attempted to answer a question that we've all asked ourselves: where have all the good men gone? 

if you're one of those people who don't like reading the last page of a book first, don't read the except below, which is basically a summary of the answer to this question:

What explains this puerile shallowness? I see it as an expression of our cultural uncertainty about the social role of men. It's been an almost universal rule of civilization that girls became women simply by reaching physical maturity, but boys had to pass a test. They needed to demonstrate courage, physical prowess or mastery of the necessary skills. The goal was to prove their competence as protectors and providers. Today, however, with women moving ahead in our advanced economy, husbands and fathers are now optional, and the qualities of character men once needed to play their roles—fortitude, stoicism, courage, fidelity—are obsolete, even a little embarrassing.

...Relatively affluent, free of family responsibilities, and entertained by an array of media devoted to his every pleasure, the single young man can live in pig heaven—and often does. Women put up with him for a while, but then in fear and disgust either give up on any idea of a husband and kids or just go to a sperm bank and get the DNA without the troublesome man. But these rational choices on the part of women only serve to legitimize men's attachment to the sand box. Why should they grow up? No one needs them anyway. There's nothing they have to do.

so there you have it.  pretty depressing if you ask me.  the article reminds me a bit of the popular NY Times article that came out last summer, about how it's taking longer for us 20-somethings to achieve the "five milestones" that signal adulthood. it's 10 pages long so save that one for when you have some time. 

hmm...now might be a good time to grow up