In my book, manly is as manly does. That makes it always funny and surprising to find out what other people think of as manly.
In a recent poll by “a cheese-filled snack” promoter of Nascar, Portland is one of the nation’s unmanliest cities.
These polls are purposefully polarizing, suggesting more regional and cultural bias than saying anything about manliness.
The manliest man I ever met was a retiree in Iowa named Manly Orum, who designed and built a labyrinth in a public park at well into his 70s.
But to be completely reductive, here’s my manly list. It can’t hurt that many of these attributes are shared by men in the Pacific Northwest.
Manly:
- making your own beer
- working three jobs because you are also an actor/ writer / filmmaker in addition to a barista / bookseller / office-worker / revolutionary / dentist
- eating food that is cheese-filled, as long as that cheese in Rogue Blue
- reading
- wearing a beard
- getting your kicks from nature
- biking to work
- having the ability to jump furious waterways
- taking care of your family (hot!)
- playing sports instead of watching them
- growing your food instead of reaching your hand in a bag of processed cheese
- pumping your own gas (whoops! I guess we don’t have that one…)
You and any bicyclists in your household are invited to join us for coffee, pastries, and fruit the last friday of each month! Details on the March breakfast aren’t posted yet, but look for details at the breakfast blog. There’s also information on other bikey news and happenings around town.
Thanks for the invite. My husband leaves for work at 6:30, but if you make it on a Tuesday, we might be able to make it!