What makes a great day? For guys, they generally fall into two categories: days that involve some kind of success, either at work or with women, or days that offer simple pleasures and a respite from the stress of our adult lives. This list is devoted to the latter category. Here are 10 days of the year which, for men, offer an archipelago of sanity in the ocean of chaos that comprises the greater part of our daily lives.
Some things never go out of style. The act of casting a line into the water and hoping for a fish to rise has been immortalized in works as diverse as A River Runs Through It and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It's one of those heralded manly pursuits that gets at the heart of how we define leisure. Is it a pulse-pounding activity full of anticipation and excitement, or a couple guys spending the day sitting around drinking beer in a boat? It's both of these things, thus reflecting the dichotomy of how men have fun—we like excitement, but in limited doses, preferably supplemented with a cool beverage.
While other sports days like the Super Bowl are all about spectacle, March Madness is all about the game, or rather, the games—nothing in sport rivals the adrenaline rush of that first Thursday of the tournament, when 32 teams take the court to play all-out, do-or-die basketball. These are college kids, not jaded superstars. They play for pride and glory, backed by rabid student and alumni fans who follow every dribble and drive on a blood-and-bones level. There's a feeling that anything can happen, anybody can beat anybody, and any bracket—no matter how well-constructed—can fall apart in a heartbeat. It is the unquestioned pinnacle of the yearly sports calendar, and you will be hard-pressed to find a man anywhere who doesn't love it like he loves his first-born.
Why shouldn't you enjoy your birthday? Too many guys waste the whole day complaining about getting older, as if there's anything they can do about it. The evolved man understands the nature of inevitability, and savors the increasing wisdom and perspective that comes with age. Plus, it's a day full of potential attention, with co-workers, friends and family all hovering around with well-wishes and presents. I don't know about you, but I can always use more well-wishes and presents.
As men, our hearts grow sick watching our precious grills spend the winter sheathed and forgotten on our decks and porches. Few things invigorate us more than that first sunny day of the year when the opportunity presents itself, the long-dormant grill is revived, and we savor the season's first whiff of flame-licked meat. The feeling can't easily be described. It rises up from a soup of primordial memory, an ancestral longing that dates back to our caveman origins. Men bond over a hot grill in a way that isn't repeated anywhere else. That all might sound a little overwrought. And maybe it is. But no matter how you feel about the age-old ritual of meat and fire itself, there's one thing we can all agree on: In the end, you end up with a delicious meal—and that at least is worth celebrating.
This day's worthiness for actual fathers is obvious; it's the only other day of the year besides your birthday (as we already discussed) when the focus is all on you. But even for non-fathers, the day has a certain appeal. First of all, fathers are much more blasé about the whole thing, and so the day lacks the pressure of Mother's Day (and don't get me started on "Mother-in-Law Day"). Plus, it's in mid-June, and so the pleasant onset of summer is palpably near.
We men take great pride in our lawns. A well-maintained field of verdant grass is our Apollonian goal, a statement about not just our skill as gardeners and landscapers but a measure of our ability to exert control in an uncertain world. Our neighbors appreciate us, our friends respect us, and our wives love us all the more. That's all well and good, but let's be honest: The whole thing is a certifiable pain in the ass. In late spring, when we dream of lounging with the newspaper and a baseball game, we're instead dragging the mower out for yet another Sunday clipping. But then, mercifully, we hit a day somewhere in mid-late summer when nature shuts itself down. The grass takes on a slight brown hue, and though a few die-hards attempt to keep it lush year-round, the societal pressure is off. The mower can again be retired until next spring without complaint from the wife, and our Sundays are once again our own.
Yeah, I know what you're going to say. You'll say, "Are you nuts? I have to get a present, make restaurant reservations, find a sitter, and of course, remember the date in the first place. What's fun about that?" But it doesn't have to be that way. First off, you should memorize and remember the date. Period. It's just something you do when you're a mature man of the world. Second, if you play it right, it's actually a very easy win for you. You go out with your wife, who will be dressed to kill, and spend the evening canoodling over candlelight while reminiscing about the day you met. Good food is usually involved. And then—with any luck—you have sex. Keep it simple, enjoy your partner, and avoid having a bad day by not prioritizing it enough, in which case there will be no sex involved.
The response men have to fire is high on the list of primal instincts. As we saw before, the urge to make fire expresses itself in summer by our frequent barbecuing. As winter sets in, things get more literal. Any man with a fireplace, whether gas or wood-burning, knows the joy of that initial flicker of flame. A cold, dark room is suddenly made warm and friendly. These men with fireplaces also know the erotic potential of a roaring fire, how easy it is to find oneself engaged carnally with women who—without exception—are made weak in the knees by firelight, soft music and a glass of white wine. If you know a man who is without a fireplace, buy him an outdoor fire pit for Christmas. He will thank you later.
Why do we love it so much? It's not really about the game itself, though recent Super Bowls have yielded interesting match-ups and fantastic finishes. No, the real draw is the overt trashiness of it all. We eat retro, junky food like chili-cheese pizza and fried jalapenos slathered in ranch dressing. It's all about mass appeal, a celebration of modern excess and Americana that gives us an excuse to gather with friends and drink beer in the dead of winter. It's that rare television event we can all share together, like the "Seinfeld" finale or "Lost" (the first season, anyway). We even enjoy watching the commercials, for God's sake.
Start of Fishing Season
Some things never go out of style. The act of casting a line into the water and hoping for a fish to rise has been immortalized in works as diverse as A River Runs Through It and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It's one of those heralded manly pursuits that gets at the heart of how we define leisure. Is it a pulse-pounding activity full of anticipation and excitement, or a couple guys spending the day sitting around drinking beer in a boat? It's both of these things, thus reflecting the dichotomy of how men have fun—we like excitement, but in limited doses, preferably supplemented with a cool beverage.
The Opening Round of March Madness
While other sports days like the Super Bowl are all about spectacle, March Madness is all about the game, or rather, the games—nothing in sport rivals the adrenaline rush of that first Thursday of the tournament, when 32 teams take the court to play all-out, do-or-die basketball. These are college kids, not jaded superstars. They play for pride and glory, backed by rabid student and alumni fans who follow every dribble and drive on a blood-and-bones level. There's a feeling that anything can happen, anybody can beat anybody, and any bracket—no matter how well-constructed—can fall apart in a heartbeat. It is the unquestioned pinnacle of the yearly sports calendar, and you will be hard-pressed to find a man anywhere who doesn't love it like he loves his first-born.
Your Birthday
Why shouldn't you enjoy your birthday? Too many guys waste the whole day complaining about getting older, as if there's anything they can do about it. The evolved man understands the nature of inevitability, and savors the increasing wisdom and perspective that comes with age. Plus, it's a day full of potential attention, with co-workers, friends and family all hovering around with well-wishes and presents. I don't know about you, but I can always use more well-wishes and presents.
The First Day of Barbecuing
As men, our hearts grow sick watching our precious grills spend the winter sheathed and forgotten on our decks and porches. Few things invigorate us more than that first sunny day of the year when the opportunity presents itself, the long-dormant grill is revived, and we savor the season's first whiff of flame-licked meat. The feeling can't easily be described. It rises up from a soup of primordial memory, an ancestral longing that dates back to our caveman origins. Men bond over a hot grill in a way that isn't repeated anywhere else. That all might sound a little overwrought. And maybe it is. But no matter how you feel about the age-old ritual of meat and fire itself, there's one thing we can all agree on: In the end, you end up with a delicious meal—and that at least is worth celebrating.
Father's Day
This day's worthiness for actual fathers is obvious; it's the only other day of the year besides your birthday (as we already discussed) when the focus is all on you. But even for non-fathers, the day has a certain appeal. First of all, fathers are much more blasé about the whole thing, and so the day lacks the pressure of Mother's Day (and don't get me started on "Mother-in-Law Day"). Plus, it's in mid-June, and so the pleasant onset of summer is palpably near.
The Summer Solstice
Human cultures have celebrated the summer solstice for millennia, and so for that alone this day merits acknowledgment. For modern men however, the day conjures a different set of visions. The official start of summer still seems like a holiday because of our childhood associations with long days off from school filled with idle play and hazy backyard afternoons. Even though we are now of working age, the kid inside rejoices when the constellations align just so, and we're gifted with daylight that lasts late into evening.
The Day Your Lawn Stops Growing
We men take great pride in our lawns. A well-maintained field of verdant grass is our Apollonian goal, a statement about not just our skill as gardeners and landscapers but a measure of our ability to exert control in an uncertain world. Our neighbors appreciate us, our friends respect us, and our wives love us all the more. That's all well and good, but let's be honest: The whole thing is a certifiable pain in the ass. In late spring, when we dream of lounging with the newspaper and a baseball game, we're instead dragging the mower out for yet another Sunday clipping. But then, mercifully, we hit a day somewhere in mid-late summer when nature shuts itself down. The grass takes on a slight brown hue, and though a few die-hards attempt to keep it lush year-round, the societal pressure is off. The mower can again be retired until next spring without complaint from the wife, and our Sundays are once again our own.
Your Anniversary
Yeah, I know what you're going to say. You'll say, "Are you nuts? I have to get a present, make restaurant reservations, find a sitter, and of course, remember the date in the first place. What's fun about that?" But it doesn't have to be that way. First off, you should memorize and remember the date. Period. It's just something you do when you're a mature man of the world. Second, if you play it right, it's actually a very easy win for you. You go out with your wife, who will be dressed to kill, and spend the evening canoodling over candlelight while reminiscing about the day you met. Good food is usually involved. And then—with any luck—you have sex. Keep it simple, enjoy your partner, and avoid having a bad day by not prioritizing it enough, in which case there will be no sex involved.
The First Cold Night of the Year You Can Light a Fire
The response men have to fire is high on the list of primal instincts. As we saw before, the urge to make fire expresses itself in summer by our frequent barbecuing. As winter sets in, things get more literal. Any man with a fireplace, whether gas or wood-burning, knows the joy of that initial flicker of flame. A cold, dark room is suddenly made warm and friendly. These men with fireplaces also know the erotic potential of a roaring fire, how easy it is to find oneself engaged carnally with women who—without exception—are made weak in the knees by firelight, soft music and a glass of white wine. If you know a man who is without a fireplace, buy him an outdoor fire pit for Christmas. He will thank you later.
Super Bowl Sunday
Why do we love it so much? It's not really about the game itself, though recent Super Bowls have yielded interesting match-ups and fantastic finishes. No, the real draw is the overt trashiness of it all. We eat retro, junky food like chili-cheese pizza and fried jalapenos slathered in ranch dressing. It's all about mass appeal, a celebration of modern excess and Americana that gives us an excuse to gather with friends and drink beer in the dead of winter. It's that rare television event we can all share together, like the "Seinfeld" finale or "Lost" (the first season, anyway). We even enjoy watching the commercials, for God's sake.
Adapted from MSN
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