Man-Making

Why This Blog and Book?

Ojulu Agote is a Sudanese refugee whose family my wife and I mentor. When I first asked him how I might help him, Ojulu immediately responded, 'I want you to teach my son how to be a man in your country.' This man was without any real material resources and faced a mountain of practical needs that come with settling in a new culture. Yet at the top of his list was to get help guiding his son toward manhood.

I don't remember my exact reply, but I do remember being embarrassed, and feeling inadequate and unsure about how to help him with his request. In my ongoing research, I've learned that I'm not alone. It appears that as a culture not only have we forgotten how to guide our boys into manhood, but that many of the adult men, like I was, feel a little lost on the journey. Sadly, boys, men, and our communities are paying dearly for our forgetting. That's why I'm writing this book and why I've started this blog.

It is my intention that this blog will become a collection of ideas, listing of resources, questions for men, shared experience, and anything else that will help boys, men, and male elders to successfully travel on their journey to manhood.

Visit the Man-Making Website to learn more about this project and the book in the works.