On Growing Up Tough by Taylor Caldwell

Author:Taylor Caldwell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2018-10-10T16:00:00+00:00

10 What Happened to American Men?

This is a tough world and a violent one and always was and always will be.

But I do believe in love. (Not “luv” you will notice.) I have been in love more times than I can remember, and invariably at first sight, and wildly and devotedly. Whether or not this was always requited slips my mind, but I sure was in love early and always from the age of eight on. I dearly love masculine persuasion, though now my head is bloody if unbowed, and there is a hint or two of gray hairs. I loved one relative—not in my immediate family—and I love my children. And I love my God and my country above all else.

Well, that is love, not “luv.”

When God suggested, “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” I hope I am not being irreverent for suspecting that this was an example of Divine Humor. I believe that the Source of so much laughter and innocent gaiety, and the frolicking of blameless animals in dewy fields, and the multitude of endless paradoxes in the world, must be deeply fond of a good joke. That admonition to “love thy neighbor” is very subtle and humorous, for what intelligent man—aware of himself, his sins and his limitations, and his miserable status in life, his secret nastinesses and unspeakable private little crimes, and his tendency to malice—can “love himself?” It takes an egotistic clod, with a poverty of experience, to look with either kindness or affection on his own person. If one is to credit the headshrinkers and the philosophers and theologians of the past, the source of much human misery is a deep and hidden self-loathing and rejection, though frankly I consider such emotions salutary and suspect they keep a man in a proper frame of mind and with a sense of proportion. That’s why I appreciate the Lord’s wit and careful language when He suggested, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” If there is any good in this world it comes not only from a candid self-appraisal and even self-rejection, but from a rejection of those traits in our brothers which make us all a little less than appetizing.

I confess that I have interpreted that particular commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself as meaning that you should have respect for your neighbor’s rights, and should show him kindness and sympathy or at least tolerance, if he is half-way decent. But if he is an unregenerate s.o.b. and a fool or a criminal or a mendicant, or is triumphantly proud of his stupidity and will not learn from experience or from the wisdom of the ages, then as the Koran advises, avoid him always. Love is a two-way street, and the unlovable should curb his disgusting traits and pull up his socks and be a man if he wants the respect of his fellows.

In these perilous days, alas, the Liberals are talking incessantly of “luv.” You must “luv” and you must be “warm” even if your

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.