We need a "mature masculinity" in our time . . .

At our campsite while driving home across Oregon, I read some insightful words from Terry Jones' "The Elder Within:

"The elder male is not only an advocate for the young but believes that advocacy for men means being aware of a new psychology for men. I call this mindset 'mature masculinity': a concept of masculinity that honors archetypal maleness while at the same time accepting the reality of modern-day western society. This has resulted in new gender roles for men and women. Mature masculinity does not incorporate the juvenile or underdeveloped aspects called 'traditional masculinity,' such as the devaluation of women. Traditional masculinity is the unfortunate but predictable result of the male role socialization process beginning with the Industrial Revolution . . ."

Photos: (Top) Sagebrush, Smith River and Smith Rock, Smith Rock State Park, OR; (Middle) Haystacks and the Painted Hills near John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, OR; (Bottom) Lewis Monkeyflower and waterfalls on the Green Lake Trail, near Bend, OR. These photos were taken on July 31-August 1, 2015

Now men must take responsibility to turn a "War in Which Only One Side Shows Up" into a "Dialogue in Which Both Sexes Speak Up."

Making our way through Eastern Oregon, I found myself reading with fascination a book I purchased at Powell's Bookstore in Portland. One of the passages especially stands out in my mind:

"In the twentieth century women led us through decades of resistance to the devastation caused by immature masculinity. The assault of feminism and many men's acquiescence to its demands has ground down the assertiveness of too many men who feel confused about their power. There has, for too long, been a silence about the increasing destruction of diversity of MATURE archetypal masculine traits . . . Given our focus on feminism, men and women alike have lost track of what MATURE masculinity really means. Warren Farrell writes in 'The Myth of Male Power,' Have we been misled by feminists? Yes. Is it feminists' fault? No. Why not? Men have not spoken up. Simply stated, women cannot hear what men do not say. Now men must take responsibility to say what they want - to turn a 'War in Which Only One Side Shows Up' into a 'Dialogue in Which Both Sexes Speak Up.' "

Terry Jones, "The Elder Within: The Source of Mature Masculinity"

Photos: (Top) Lewis Monkeyflowers, Green Lake and Broken Top Mountain, near Bend, OR; (Middle) Mount Jefferson, viewed from Smith Rock State Park, OR; (Bottom) Sunflowers and red badlands, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Painted Hills District, OR. These photos were taken on July 31-August 1, 2015