Men's Group

I did cover a lot of ground. Besides, I don't always express myself well; and I probably won't cover all the points you've brought up.

I deeply appreciate what you've said about your background. I had had a stereotypical view of high-school (and college) football players from the time I was in high school until recently; namely, all football players were popular, they partied all the time, they all had perfect bodybuilder physiques, and all lived charmed lives. This stereotype has been contradicted for me to a degree on several occasions.

My current physical trainer, who had played football in high school, recently showed me a picture someone had taken of him at a beach when he was in high school. He didn't have any fat on his body, but he was extremely slender with no muscular development. (Of course, he's got a muscular build now. He developed his physique after high school.)

About two years ago I had an e-mail exchange with a university football player after I had defended him from being flamed at another website. He was a gentle giant who was extremely studious, as was a teammate of his who was also his roommate. He excelled academically, but didn't have a social life because of all the restraints on his time. Workouts and football practice and academic assignments took up all of his time. He hadn't gone to a single party.

I had heard before that being big presented problems for guys. The late Chicago columnist Mike Royko was a tall man. I don't know if he had had an athletic background, but he was tall. In one of his columns, he briefly alluded to the same problem he had had with smaller guys, whom he found to be a nuisance.

Broken_Hero, I'm very sorry about all the trouble you had when you were growing up; but I'm glad you've recalled your experiences in this forum. They're educational, and they help to break down stereotypes so guys can understand each other.

Granted, this Men's Group was set up to discuss political issues and social trends that effect men. But I'm also quite gratified to see that it has been used on a more personal level to promote understanding.