manhood

I’ve spent the last few years working hard on connecting more deeply with my father, motivated by a few reasons: For one, I felt I was missing something in my own sense of self; a connection to my own masculinity that would normally comes from a boy’s father. I also found myself feeling a profound sense of grief and loss towards my father, which seemed particularly odd given that he’s still very much alive and kicking. And then other men I’ve talked to whose father’s had died have often told me how much they regret not connecting on a deeper level and getting the chance to ask questions they’d long for an answer to, while he was still alive.

Being Angry With Our Father Can Be Challenging

Frankly, it hasn’t been an easy process. My experience of my father is that he talks about his experiences in excruciating detail that is totally devoid of emotional content. This often leaves me switching off and ending up feeling isolated, lonely and depressed in his presence. He says things that just aren’t very interesting and appears to show no regard for whether his listener finds the conversation engaging or not. When he tells me about visiting a relative or going to a concert, I’m likely to hear more about the parking and travel arrangements than whether he enjoyed the actual event itself.… Continue reading…