The Man-Making Blog is a practical and inspirational resource
for people interested in supporting our young males
on their journey to manhood.

August 20, 2016

A Man's 500 Ton Initiation

In a recent blog post, I wrote about how a young fisherman was initiated into his profession with a trial by waves, tobacco juice, fish guts, and heat. It was a tough rite of passage. In many professions we still see some form of testing, formal and/or informal, required of the beginner or novice in order to earn the full acceptance and privileges of man's world.

At the end of that "fish guts" post, I asked you, the readers, to let me know if you had encountered any ordeal, testing, or initiation into man's world as you went through life. One reader, Brian E., sent along this story about how he earned the respect of the men in his world of work with BIG cranes.



Hi Earl, part of my passage into manhood was about earning acceptance into my profession. I was 28 when I joined the International Union of Operating Engineers. I started as a journeyman apprentice at a crane company and, initially, my company would use me as a "yard kid." I would help the mechanics, run for parts, pick up trash, and so forth. To prove myself, I would always go beyond my regular duties to straighten up the rigging and do a good job of keeping the yard organized.


Liebherr 500 Ton Crane
The company was in the business of delivering, setting up, and operating the large cranes you see on big construction sites. One of the crane operators took notice of my work and told the office that he wanted me to become his new oiler, even though other journeymen wanted that position. An oiler has a lot of responsibility, everything from driving the crane to the site, positioning the crane on the site, and helping place the counter weights during setup and operations. So it was a kind of compliment to get picked.

...only two men ever made him cry...

This operator was nice, but was often a real jerk. While he'd compliment me every once and awhile, if I did something wrong he would yell at me and really make me feel less than human. If he caught me without a rag in my hand and not cleaning the crane while he was operating, he would yell "if I'm working, you're working," and slam his door closed. I didn't like getting yelled at so I didn't make the same mistake twice. He would tell me that I was getting off easy and that he had it a lot worse from the operator who taught him. Once he told me that only two men ever made him cry, his dad and the operator that taught him.

I'm a pretty smart guy. I knew he was really teaching me to become a darn good hand who can work anywhere and be accepted by the elite in my trade. A lot of it had to do with safety, because my profession is very dangerous. In the past ten years, I've seen many men with missing fingers, men who have been crushed, and men who have died. Behind all that gruffness, he was actually protecting me, maybe keeping me alive.

I became a better man . . . because of him.

I appreciated the tough love, and I know I became a better man, coworker, and crane operator because of him. Like I said, I didn't get a lot of compliments from him. However, when I recently went to my old company and worked with him for a day, he told me he really missed having good help around. Coming from him, that meant a lot to me.



If you're paying attention, you'll often hear these initiation stories and their impact. They are most often about building up new guy and preparing them for success in their future. If you have a story about this kind of "welcome to man's world" in your life, please send it to me. If you're really motivated, give me a shout and let's talk about how you might create an intentional passage experience in the life of a young man you know.



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August 11, 2016

When Young Men Enter Man's World!

The YMAW, or Young Men's Adventure Weekend, is held every year in a primitive, lake-side forest, outside of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia. I've been on this amazing journey to manhood adventure, been changed by it, and have written about it previously.

There is just something about the chemistry of a large, multi-generational pack of men in a wilderness setting that is transformative. Just guys, being a little wild, having a lot of fun, all while taking young male lives seriously. I tell you it makes my masculine heart sing!

Check out this video and see if you don't feel a call to be there.


If this clip doesn't show up use this link.

Like all the males involved, I, too, am always touched deeply by my time in this kind of man's world. While the advertising is always about showing up for the young guys, the truth is all the males involved are changed for the better by the experience. In the afterglow of these kinds of events, I'm always left wondering what would my life today be like if I had been surrounded by, and cared for, in this way by so many good men? Who would you be today if this was part of your story?

Who would you be today
if this was part of your story?

These kinds of Rites of Passage events in man's world are going on regularly, around the U.S. and the world. Even if you have to travel a half a world away to attend, I highly recommend adding it to your masculine bucket list. I can say with some authority this experience will change your life and will make you a better man.

You can give me a shout and I'll help you find an event somewhere that's a fit for you.

The YMAW 2017 will be held on July 7, 8, 9th, and registration is now open. You can get more information and contact the YMAW guys through their website or by visiting their FaceBook page.

I don't think you'd be reading this far if you didn't feel the stirring in your male soul. The young men and this adventure is waiting for you to say "yes" to the call you hear.



SHARE: If you enjoy this blog, please click the Facebook "Share" button below to support the Man-Making Facebook page! (The button is only on the MM Blog, and not in subscription posts delivered by email.)


CONTACT: Send Earl a message. I'm very interested in your thoughts on any man-making post or topic. I'm available to help bring man-making initiatives to your community or organization.

SUBSCRIBE: If you're not yet a subscriber to the Man-Making Blog, and you'd like to receive these posts by email 3-4 times a month, use this link for a free subscription.

TWEET: Send this post along to your friends or follow me on Twitter!