manly monday: don from adeline's daddy!

I am so, so excited to share this Manly Monday guest post with you guys today! I (along with legions of other readers) am a huge fan of Adeline's Daddy, so when Don agreed to write something for this feature I'll admit that I did a little gleeful dance! Don's the mastermind behind all the Vloggin' Vednesdays that have been sweeping the blogosphere, and he's a man after my own heart in the baby apparel department--he sells his own designs in his big cartel shop on onesies, nursery art, and rompers. Oh, and he's an honest and witty writer with a beautiful wife and sweet-cheeked baby who seems like the happiest little gal around.

If for some reason you are not reading his blog, you should be. I'm so pleased to have him sharing this blog space with me today, and I know you're going to love his words, too.

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When Hilary contacted me about writing something for Manly Monday, it made me think... am I actually Manly? And, what exactly does Manly mean? The dictionary gave two definitions:

–adjective

1.having qualities traditionally ascribed to men, as strength or bravery.

2.pertaining to or suitable for males: manly sports.

Usually when I want to figure out what something means, I would look to the dictionary, but in this instance, I think I'm going to have to challenge Merriam Webster on this one. I don't know if I can topple such a mainstay of the Dictionary world alone, so I will call upon my wife (Rachel from localhoneybaby.com) for some things I need backup and a woman's perspective on (for reference AD: Adeline's Daddy LH: Local Honey, my wife).

AD: First, I think these definitions are too vague, there is so much more to being manly, and I don't think all men are manly. If you are a man and you are married, have a child and leave your child and wife behind for a young empty girl because you are going through a midlife crisis, you are not manly, even if you are filled with strength and have bravery seeping from your pores. Since becoming a Dad, I have developed a different criteria for being manly, and I've met tons of manly men on my travels, but I'm not sure that you would see them playing the part of James Bond 007 in the next incarnation. But, I guess I am writing this, so let's examine my manliness and try to come to an agreement on what manly is...

When considering my manliness, let me be forthright, I have been known to cry at most touching movies, anything sweet involving my daughter and just about every episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I'm not a big fan of sports. I don't eat meat or drink alcohol. I am completely against violence, don't like fast cars... hmmm, what else...?

LH: Well, you aren't known to have the deepest voice in the world...

AD: OK, OK, I think I may be forgetting here, that I actually do want to be considered manly, at least in the 2011 Adeline's Daddy definition. So, what are some things that could be on my side here? I mean, I have been wearing a lot of tank tops lately, and as such, have been sporting the manly pelt of chest hair...

LH: I think you took a big time step in the manly direction with the way you took care of me and baby when I was pregnant. You always put us first, and did whatever I needed to be comfortable and whatever was best to be prepared for our baby. You always put your family first and that is very manly.

AD: But what about Sean Connery type manly stuff? You know stuff to make up for crying at that one Freddy Prinze jr. movie.

LH: Well, you did take an ordinary bathroom and turned it into something worthy of a bond girl, and for that I am thankful.

AD: If there was going to be a movie made about my life, who would be the manly man that would play me?

LH: Ooooohhh, Robert Redford!

AD: I'm imagining an old school Robert Redford, not the current Day right?

LH: Yeah, like 40 years ago, however, he's still got it. As I'm sure you will too when you are 70. Just as manly as ever.

AD: I guess that settles it... I'm manly. So I guess I am qualified to do this post for Hilary. I'm not sure that 10 years ago I would be considered manly, nor did I try to be. But I guess part of developing and being manly is being thoughtful and open. So, even though I don't think that I can completely back the dictionary definition of "manly," I don't think that I'm the one to actually tell you what the definition should be. Maybe it is being kind, caring and supportive of your wife and child, or stepping in to stop a fight. Perhaps manly for you is something completely different. For me, always feeling that I am doing the best I can, every day for my family is what I consider to be manly...

... but I do like working with power tools and building things too : )

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Thank-you, thank-you, Don!

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