Lone Wolf

The paradigmatic lone wolf, roaming the shadows of life’s treacherous landscape. The dangers lurk at every bend, challenges to your self-sufficiency and independence. Cultural narratives propel you forward and provide metrics to your manhood. You embrace the risks of succumbing to life’s dangers, weighing the value of victory you quietly celebrate. You dare not share any trepidations out of fear that kinks in your armor are exposed, weak points for adversaries to attack. The life of a man’s psyche, the sword we frequently die upon.

The lone wolf is just that, alone. Extolled as a strength is the very thing that weakens life’s foundation. Lost are the opportunities to reach greater heights with a lift from a helping hand. Missing is the wisdom earned from shared adventures and conversations around communal settings. What was seen as a weakness becomes the rebar of a solid life. What emerges is a real man where leadership is not a solo game, rather deep contributions in a band of brothers.

So many men need to rethink the stories they tell themselves. Personal agency is a trait to be embraced if it yields when life demands it. For a man who has long walked alone, this is revelation that requires recalibration. To expose your weaknesses and challenges is to admit your humanity. This is not a call to delve into the constant drivel and whining of emasculated men prominently displayed in the pages of media, rather this is a challenge to embrace your uniqueness as a man forged from the fires of life and camaraderie. We all need friends to join in the walk.