I am Woman Hear me Roar!

It's official. I'm calling it. Woman wins!

Look, I love being a man and I only want to be a man, with no plans on changing. I'm proud to be a man. And there are some amazing men today. But it's time to call it like is. Woman rules!

We need both genders, obviously. Both are essential and divine. And I am not disregarding anything male. But woman wins. To quote President Gordon B. Hinckley,

“Woman is God’s supreme creation. Only after the earth had been formed, after the day had been separated from the night, after the waters had been divided from the land, after vegetation and animal life had been created, and after man had been placed on the earth, was woman created; and only then was the work pronounced complete and good.”

I concur.

Lately it just seems women are passing men in so many areas. And in fact there is evidence to prove this: 

In 2010, women became the majority of the workforce for the first time in U.S. history. Most managers are now women too. And for every two men who get a college degree this year, three women will do the same.

There are other facts that could be stated that illustrate the gulf that is growing and dividing men and women, but the point here is women rule. (Please read to the end. I'd love to hear your comments).

Now none of this should be a contest. Nor should this be an issue of who is better when together is best. And a battle of the sexes only produces casualties. But now is the time for we men to rise up, man up, and be men again. We need to be better, husbands, fathers, friends, and all around better men. Let's not forget all the good men still. There are plenty. Still, we need to encourage and support the women in our lives and women in general in their pursuits. Together we need to restore the traditional family, with a husband who leads and with a wife who leads with him as coequals. We need to respect women who have an education, who are pursuing an education, and women who are successful in the workplace. Naturally this is a sensitive issue. In no way am I suggesting that women no longer be mothers. Quite the contrary. But today's dynamic has changed. Nor am I ignoring the amazing women who are working so hard as successful single mothers.

Well here is one guy who will be what she needs and wants and now! I want to will be the exception to all her bad dating experiences. I will be there to meet her emotional, spiritual, and mental needs. I'm manning up!

With that I am now presenting my oath to women, but more so to the woman I will marry:

1. I will not manipulate, use, misuse, or abuse you verbally, physically, or emotionally.
2. I will practice time honored chivalry: help you with your chair, open your car door, help you with your jacket, keep you on the safe side of traffic, and defend your honor . . . to the death! or at least with a strongly worded email.
3. I will encourage you to exemplify everything a woman should be and everything you want to be.
4. I will honor your feminine qualities.
5. I will respect you, your thoughts, desires, actions, hopes and dreams.
6. I will listen to you and I will learn from you.
7. I will be your spider killer, your high shelf reacher, your knight in shining armor. My armor may have some dents and a little rust, but that will buff out. 
8. I will honor the priesthood I bear as I honor you.
9. I will hold your hand in public. 
10. I'll buy your tampons, and anything else most men are uncomfortable buying. I'll even hold your purse for you, but in a manly way of course. What is a manly purse hold? You grab the straps about halfway down, then keep your arm slightly bent at the elbow. It should resemble a caveman bringing his kill back to the cave. Nice huh?
11. I'll rub your feet. Now how can you beat that?
12. I will workout with you. I already workout 5-6 days a week, so maybe that one isn't much of a goal. But it is important to me.
13. I will not behave like a child and you will not have to act like my mom. Neither of us want that. 
14. I will not just do to make you happy then resort to old ways.
15. I will treat you like a princess. Tiara not included . . . yet.
16. I will choose being with you over playing video games (I actually don't play them as it is, so we're good there).
17. I will keep my man card, but still be sensitive to your needs. In other words I'll be the man you need me to be.
18. I will take responsibility, but not be overbearing.
19. I'll shave my chest. I hear that is desirable - truth be told, I already have. I swim. 
20. I will give you my 100% and I will be your coequal in all things.
21. I will tell you often that I love you and NOT just when you need to hear it. But more importantly, I will mean it.
22. I will take you on weekly dates, and sometimes surprise you.
23. I will respect your need for space and "you" time.
24. I will be more than just good enough. I will be great!
25. I will watch Pride and Prejudice, The Notebook, and anything on Lifetime with you. Heck, I'll even watch the Twilight Trilogy with you. But if you want to watch ESPN once in a while, that's cool.
26. I will love you even when you aren't feeling lovable. 
27. I will recognize that of all the men in the world you could have chosen, you chose me and I will live worthy to keep that true.
28. I will take less time than you in the bathroom getting ready, for anything. And I'll save you some hot water.
29. I'll take out the trash, clean the bathroom, make the bed, wash the dishes, mow the lawn, and a host of other household chores, but as a trade, will you do ironing and fold the laundry? I'll even wash the clothes and dry them. But I hate ironing.
30. “In the presence of a girl I truly love I will not grovel; in her presence I will not attempt to take advantage of her; in her presence I will be everything a “Master Man” should become, for she will inspire me to that ideal.”[i] (Edited portions in bold and underlined) 

I know what some of you are thinking after reading all this. Well let it be known, none of the above means I'll be whipped. Look at all the successful marriages. They have at least one thing in common: the men were men and they honored and loved their wives. They weren't selfish and they placed their wives first.

Sound too good to be true? I don't think so.

"True love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious concern for the well-being of one's companion.” -Gordon B. Hinckley

If I choose to place her first because I love her, in no way am I weak or pathetic or soft. In fact in more ways than one, I am a stronger, bigger, better man.

“Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring then a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue, with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth. God will hold us accountable if we neglect His daughters.”[ii]

Now an open invite to you women. Let's see your list as to what you want from a man. Leave a comment. I'm genuinely interested.


Be Good!
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[i] "Our Responsibility to Our Young Women," Ensign, September 1988, p. 11.)  (Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 691.)  

[ii] President David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals: Selections from the Discourses of David O. McKay [Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1953], 459).