Written By: By: Damion Anglin
We all maintain a level of youthful exuberance as we get older. We often cling to specific childhood nostalgia in order to stay connected with our younger more carefree selves. For men, there are a number of ways we allow our inner youth to remain alive and well. But what exactly does this mean for us? Does it make us any less mature? Is this something our girlfriend or wife should be concerned about? The answer is no. There are no serious concerns to be had, however it is important to understand the boy inside the man.
As men, we are often held to a higher standard of responsibility and expectancy. So much is required of us and we often do not have the appropriate outlets to navigate the pressures that come with our level of responsibility. As a result, we find other avenues to release the stress and connect to a more carefree state of existence. On the surface, we present an exterior that is controlled, in charge and focused on achieving and executing our daily responsibilities.
But at our core we crave outlets of freedom, excitement and simplicity. It is our desire to achieve these outlets that result in us turning to certain childlike activities such watching cartoons and anime, playing with technologically advanced toys and gadgets, playing fantasy video games or placing our interest into luxury vehicles. Each of these activities provide a sense of escape and excitement that we are often no longer afforded in our normal existence. We therefore, become so enthralled in these activities in order to hold on to an inner state of freedom.
Think about the interests of a young boy; he often craves the opportunities to play and explore his interests in cars and gadgets and other avenues to often bring about a sense of euphoria. At some point throughout our adolescence we slowly begin to lose that state of euphoria as it is replaced by the societal expectations that come with being a “man”.
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As young boys, we also crave a level of attention and care that gets lost over time. As men, we search for these attributes in our families and professional endeavors; and in the instances where they may be lacking in these two spaces, we often reconnect with the outlet that we recall from our childhood when existing was simpler and happier.
Every man has a childlike essence within him requiring attention and excitement. It is this inner child that often brings us the balance we require in dealing with the stressful realities of adulthood, parenting and career. We crave to be excited; we crave to get lost in a world that is not our own; we crave for a rush of adrenaline that reminds us of our youth.
The boy inside the man requires care and nurturing and fun; the boy inside the man requires freedom to explore and learn, be bold and adventurous and most of all, be unburdened if only for a moment. It is therefore important that when we retreat to our mancaves to escape the rigorous realities of the world we live in that we be afforded the time to recharge and refuel our conscious state of being.
The boy inside the man is an integral part of appreciating who we are as a whole and understanding the level of care and outlets of release that we often times require. The boy inside the man is the very essence of our personality and interests that we need to keep alive so that we can maintain the core and heart of our being. The boy inside the man is not something we need to expel but instead fully embrace and entertain.
The boy inside the man, is how we are able to connect to our own children and to be the fathers that appreciate the importance of spending time with their kids and encouraging them to be whatever they set their minds to. It fuels us, it drives us, it connects and it keeps us whole.