Men(tors)

In 2017 I attended my first men’s retreat, at which, within the first hour I exclaimed “I hate men!”. It was shocking to the men in my small group and to myself! I did not realize the depths to which I had rejected not only men at large but also the potential to be a healthy man myself. Positive affirmations from women in my life led me to believe that I was “one of the good ones” but what I discovered was that I was actually so far out of touch with myself as a man, that I wouldn’t even know where to begin when it comes to positive and healthy masculinity. Since then I’ve been I’ve formed, attended and facilitated multiple weekly men’s groups and retreats. But most importantly I’m developed a comfort around other men that I had never felt in my life, and a comfort with aspects of myself as a man that were scary to me before, such as anger. Now, I look forward to opportunities to connect with other men in and out of retreats, and I am very passionate about spreading this work to others. The men pictured below are some of the male figures in my adult life that have helped me open to myself and others. This is an ongoing project highlighting my men(tors).