Is it true? A new you? A new type of working class man

Howdy, this is to all the working class men out there.

With the increasing prevalence and availability of other options for men than the standard tighty whities there will always be anxiety when trying new things. Men have had years of social pressure to conform to a single perception of masculinity, one that is inculcated by generations of expectations. We are supposed to be protectors, breadwinners, tough, strong, and gritty. We are supposed to be willing to defend ourselves, our families, and our country. We are bombarded that the ideal man is muscled, built of iron, and ready to work in any trade at a moment’s notice.

Going against this, deviating from that norm is an anathema to the status quo. We are supposed to wear sandpaper around our manhood's and be damn thankful for the opportunity. This is our birthright and we inherit it. There is a better way, and has been for a long time, though.

Let me start pleading my case by telling you that you are already winning. If you work as a bricklayer, trucker, or ironworker and are reading this, you are already way cooler than most men. You above all other people are defying more social pressure than other men with white collar desk jobs. You move mountains, build them, and am damn thankful for the luxury to do so, and you are open to new ideas too, moving aside your own preconceptions against a landslide of peer pressure. Give yourself a huge pat on the back.

Let’s assume you are on the fence about pulling the trigger on something satin or lacy. Let’s say you are looking at a smaller bikini than you had previously even considered. That is beyond cool. You are going where most of your co-workers and buddies wouldn’t. Own that with pride.

You have nothing to prove, if you are slinging steel or holding a steering wheel for miles across your country, you are the backbone of society, you are the unsung, and the white collar types have everything to prove to you, not the other way around. The same with your colleagues in the trenches. You do you and they will do them.

The cliche image of a rugged man in a pickup truck has stuck with us. The trucks of the 60s were meant to be tools and worked like hell. Modern trucks can outdo them, can tow more, haul more, and go further off road. They have evolved with society, how many trucks in the 50s had power massaging heated cooled leather seats? If the biggest metaphor for manhood can evolve into something with strength and comfort, you certainly can.

Regards, JP