Measure of a Man

I can distinctly remember the first time somebody I really looked up to called me a man. I was 19 and a Captain on a big city fire department, we were workin with, looked me in the eye and called me a man after a particularly hard fight. Sure it sounds like a small word, but it ain't.

I had been called a man for quite awhile, like when the ol' boys at the feed store I'd go to as a kid would ask me how "Little man" was as I walked in with my grandpa. There were countless other times as I grew up, but this time I had earned the title.

It felt really good, made me walk a lil taller, and mosey a lil prouder, mostly made me think of my Grandpa. Because of him I knew how to be a man. (My Grandpa & I will definitely be a whole blog or three.)

I couldn't wait to git back to the station and call him, like I often did when the day was long. We were deep into our conversation, when, in that quiet voice my Grandpa said "Well, today you are a man, welcome to it." At the time I didn't really know what he meant, just was thrilled to hear those words again.

As the years passed I learned. Bein a man has absolutely nothing to do with age. It is an awesome responsibility that you earn. I, for one, can think of nothin better to be.