At the risk of turning upside down my own awareness, and in the process exposing myself as a member of the male species, I am fascinated by the great divide that exists when one considers why it is precisely that women are far more comfortable exploring the depths of the unknown than men. This is not fable, but rather fact: plain truth. While we find more and more women willing to swim into the deep end of the pool of possibility, exploring further that which lies within, men conversely are often not. Feet planted firmly beneath them, the average male finds little need to tread into deeper waters when it comes to any pursuit of something higher, greater. More comfortable with the known, the familiar, man seems equipped to walk upon the concrete, treading carefully so as not to accidentally lose footing, face, and something entirely more vital: control.
That's right. The main reason why men love shallow waters is control. Control is the primary weapon for the male ego to stake its claim in the world. And it is the master addiction that keeps us coming back for more. Losing control, letting go, allowing something else to move us is, well, mindless for the typical male. The risk of delving into something that the mind may join in, but shall never lead, is just too great. We men often remain determined never to wander far from reason, or what is reasonable when vetted through the limiting. To delve into the unknown chambers of the heart -- the sole intention of the soul itself -- is a brush with the bonfire. And no reasonable man would ever venture too close to the flame, where greater light may be availed to us. We may actually get burned.
Women are far more courageous when it comes to matters of the heart (Pew Research). They bask in the content of greater intent, cleanse themselves time and again in the mineral bath of their inner beauty, their spiritual essence, their heart of hearts. The secret of the new age lies in the root of the word itself: courage, le coeur, French for "the heart," and the age that is upon us now. This is why we men must step aside, allow our female colleagues to guide, provide us with a new direction, a new sensation for greater elevation. We have "tested tosterone," having failed time and again. Or perhaps, as Edison once suggested, merely "found 10,000 ways that won't work." In this case, 10,000 ways not to enlighten further the path we are on as humanity. Common sense would say it is time to experiment with something new, something different, if not altogether unknown. A more common sense -- if one were inclined to look further within, explore the depths of such wanting waters -- awaits our movement toward greater inner awareness, and perhaps a piece of peace within the tapestry of the untold.
Women, lead us. Please! Show us the stroke that will move men into deeper waters, and humanity into the next age -- the Human Age. Reveal to us what is possible when we choose to let go, and allow whatever it is that wields its magic wand to make magic happen -- with us, through us. We are a stubborn sort, but stubbornness can be a useful tool once set upon the proper course. We may appear to be insane, insecure, but after all, insanity is just another directional for the directionally impaired.
The rope that stands between the shallow end and its deeper counterpart is imaginary in its creation. Its sits upon the surface, visible only to one who wants to see barriers, and not bridges. For just below the surface, there are only the waters that move freely between what is known, familiar, and what lay within the unknown, and more familiar.
Swim, man! Swim! Swim for the deep end. Move beyond the restrictions self-imposed, and set course for deeper channels, greater versions -- grander possibilities. It is our destiny to find our destiny. It is our rightful heritage to shed the baggage -- our arm floaties -- don our goggles, see with greater clarity what awaits us in the deep blue. If nothing more (and there is so much more), I can assure you of one thing: There will be plenty more women there, diving for greater pearls of wisdom, than you will find in the shallow end of the pool of life. And that in itself may provide motivation enough for man as we tap into something far more powerful than the desire for control -- that is, desire itself. Another subject for another time... if one desires.
David Scott Clegg is the author of The Longest Distance.
Follow him on Twitter @DScottwrites.