~ Nothing Like My Grandfather ~

What happened to all the real men? When I was growing up I had several influential men in my life. Strong black men who went the extra mile for their families. Men that would do whatever it took to provide for there love ones. Men who supported 13+ children, their wife and own their own businesses. One of the men that I'm speaking of was my grandfather.

My grandfather was a great man, partly because of some of the reasons I listed above. I'm sad to say I didn't realize that until now. As a youth, my father wasn't around a lot, partly because of reasons he couldn't control and I never got to meet his father. In the absent of my dad not being around, my mothers father filled the void of not having my father there early on in my life. My grandfather died at the age of 76 and I was only 6 or 7 when he died. I still have fond memories of my grandfather the short time we did spend together on this earth.

My grandfather was a man of few words but wasn't afraid to speak his mind or dish out punishment. My grandfather was a man of his word and a man that was stuck in his ways. He was old school, he did everything the old way. The way he walked, talked, and the way he handled business. He was a very hard worker and owned his own farm. He used his hands to provided for his family and took care of all of us. Don't get me wrong my grandfather wasn't perfect, he had his many down falls and shortcoming. But the person he was and the way he handled himself over shadowed his faults. Evidently,  my grandfather was the first male figure to have a positive impact on my life as a youth.

In attempting to compare my grandfather, or men in general of his age to men today there is no comparison. Men today are nothing like my grandfather. Just take what has been going on in the news lately. Men have seemed to have lost their way. Their principals and morals, what men in general stand for. Some men have even lost their purpose. For example the bishop in Atlanta.  I am not trying to hold judgement or anything but stuff like that really saddens me. This gentleman was trusted with the lives of these individuals to guide and influence them in a path that was in line with the Bible. My grandfather would have never condoned anything like that.

Who to blame for the current plight of young black males in America? Its hard to place the blame anywhere. We could start by placing the blame on parents for allowing their children to run a muck and do whatever they please without discipline. Or we could place the blame on schools and teachers for not really caring about our students anymore and if they succeed or not. Lastly we could place the blame on our churches for not holding parents, children and the likes accountable for their actions and the actions of the church clergy. So when we really think about it the blame can be placed in a lot of different areas.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, where did we go wrong as men? I know for myself I haven't lived up to the standard that was set before me. Ive had situations in my life that I wish I could get a do over. But each situation that I mishandled I learned something for it. Men today seem not to learn from their mistakes and the mistakes of others. That's what so puzzling about our current condition, we seem not to learn anything from the ones that came before us.

Im not claming to have an answer to the problem but I would love to hear a situation. How do we change the mindset and mentility of black men in the USA?