Bearing witness to fierceness of a blessing kind on a men’s weekend

I feel blessed that I attended a community get-together for men who belong to the ManKind Project Ontario this past weekend.

I feel blessed that I can talk to men about the real things in my life—about what scares me, makes me feel crappy, and bewilders me, including what’s going on with the Leafs.

I feel blessed that I witnessed a man tearfully disclose a brutal situation in his life to a roomful of men, who then thanked him for showing his strength and courage.

I feel blessed to be among the men who literally raised this man off the ground, sang You’ve Got a Friend to him, and placed him down as a man uplifted.

I feel blessed that I laughed so hard with another man that tears flowed, and when we hugged, our shaking made us laugh even more. And every time I thought about it, I laughed some more.

I feel blessed that we asked a man to reveal his darkest truths about himself, his insecurities, his shadows, and what makes him dangerous, and afterwards he thanked us sincerely for loving him so fiercely.

I feel blessed to witness men sitting knee to knee and sharing their innermost struggles—as well as their joys—in a state of absolute trust.

I feel blessed to be among men who will take 100 percent responsibility for their mistakes, clean up their messes, and create more trust and connection in the process.

I feel blessed to witness a man walk up to another, put his hand on him, look him in the eye, and tell that man how brilliantly he did something.

I feel blessed to sing with other men, have fun, and connect through the primal power of men’s resonating voices.

I feel blessed to witness men hug with intention and say ‘I love you’ to each other—without a smidge of self-consciousness.

I feel blessed that I can be imperfect, and men will applaud me for it.

I feel blessed that I can be so comfortable that I feel my shoulders and chest relax, and my voice seems to lower an octave.

I feel blessed that if a man appears to be isolating, other men will look for him to check on him.

I feel blessed that men will take only two pieces of bacon—sometimes, just one!—to ensure that the men behind them will be fed.

I feel blessed that when it’s time to clean up, every man regardless of seniority or age pitches in to clean toilets, sweep rooms, and mop floors.

I feel blessed that men who may be 60 years apart in age can listen respectfully to each other, and acknowledge the wisdom that they each have to offer.

About Tim O'Connor

Tim O'Connor is a golf coach, an award-winning writer, and speaker. Tim takes a holistic approach, coaching golfers in the physical and mental aspects of golf. He co-hosts the Swing Thoughts podcast with Howard Glassman, and is the author of The Feeling of Greatness: The Moe Norman Story. He plays bass in CID—a Guelph punk band!