The Role of Men

Listening to Jason Kelce’s heartfelt retirement speech honoring his parents, spouse, coaches, and educators has me in all my feels. It’s got me thinking about the gender roles and expectations on men and women today.

I vividly remember the first time my baby boomer dad told me that I could do anything boys could do. I was 10 years old. My dad was born in 1947. He worked on submarines in the U.S. Navy around the time of the Vietnam War. My father planted a deep seed in the inner core of my brain that sprouted slowly over time like a mighty oak tree reminding me I could do anything, be anyone.

Before the age of home computers, he brought me with him to his university’s computer room while he worked on assignments. This experience partially explains why I am drawn to computers and number crunching. It drove my awe for the intellectual environment of a university and may be the reason I am a professor today.

We are all products of the experiences we have growing up. They define us. We learn to follow the lead of others until we figure out how to lead for ourselves. We are influenced until we can become influential. So, it should come as no surprise that women today have accelerated economic clout and red-hot consumer power. We’ve been prepped to be mighty, driven, independent, and awe inspiring.