Musing

today’s Musing written and published from south Calgary, near Fish Creek Park

0C/32F, Chinook arch brings warm, Gusta enjoyed the lab pup and the poodle on our path to the soccer fields, overcast, windy

men of all ages, take a moment to pause, out of respect for our tired, weary and bewildered brothers who have gone before us, and those who struggle even now, who weather the storm and especially those currently committed to mental health facilities, let us bow our heads for these brave men cut down in their prime by this incredibly bizarre debilitating condition and to those survivors who have courage to talk about it – setting aside their wounds to confess they lived with it – this ode to men-who-pause

just as Wile E. Coyote is far more likely to have an Acme Anvil hit him on the head than to be eating roast road-runner, men-who-pause recognize no matter how resourceful, caring or strategic we might ever be, there is no understanding hormonally altered woman; not to say we get it right ever - or often - we observe, navigate, facilitate and often irritate the situation; but we are not – and in this I believe I can speak for all men – I repeat, we are not unsympathetic; we attempt understanding, we strive to avoid conflict, we nurture our goddesses while at the same time we recognize how precariously close to danger we tread

I’ve met many women ‘of a certain age’; ranging from late 30’s to late 50’s, who experience ‘the change’ a little, or a lot; we know it in a hot-flash moment – room temperature varies without warning, we are ready to volunteer for therapy until we learn it is hormone replacement therapy; with the stealth and cunning of Wile E. Coyote, we men-who-pause give deference, at a safe distance in tense times, awed by the impact of tides, moon and mystery of these hormones when it affects the women we love

in early stage menopause-watch, exercise caution, learn, listen, learn again, listen again . . perhaps do some reading - minimal speech is recommended - remember, in addition to all the ‘not so nice’ elements of menopause, there are many delightful side-effects such as: reduced home heating costs (hot flashes), no need for a humidifier in the bedroom (night sweats), increased libido (no fear of pregnancy), no excessive eye makeup (spontaneous crying), excitement (risk of being shot for-simply-existing mood swings), reduced requirements for making sense and forgetfulness (meno-fog), more free time (she needs less sleep), your diminished eye-sight and sense of proportion/propriety help you say ‘honey, you look so thin in that outfit’ (sudden weight gain)

to men currently in hormone-watch, what can I say other than ‘eventually it will be over’ and when it is over, really over(not necessarily), but compared to what you’ve experienced it seems like it’s over, you may simply be ready for ‘the home’ because a mood swing could send you into sudden-death; I don’t mean overtime, I mean sudden death

if you have completed your ‘tour of duty’, collect your prize – buy a sports car, buy a hat . . . but DO NOT trade your butterfly in on a younger model or you will have to go through it all again, and again, and again

Mark Kolke
339,804
197.2

... with your voice, teach in order to learn


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