Thread by @MarigaWangombe

Dear gentlemen,

What are the things that made you feel like a man, while you were younger and don't matter at all now?

*Short thread on what mine were*

RT. #MasculinityKE

1. A beard. My dad has a beard he would shave daily and so that was an ultimate dream. I would practice using his shaver from when I was around 7 😂 I struggled growing a beard and it finally bloomed at 23 😂
My first beard hair was at 12. I went to tell my mom😂

#MasculinityKE

2. A muscular body. I was the short and yellow kid and so I always dreamed of my transformation where I would get tall+muscular. I grew taller but no muscles. I tried the gym and wasted money I should have spent on food😂 It's the muscles on the inside that matter
#MasculinityKE

3. Having a deep voice. That was something I hoped to achieve 😁😂
My voice broke at some point but not enough to get me where I wanted. I was in the choir and my range was between soprano at some point and tenor😂 No luck there😁

#MasculinityKE

4. Alcohol. Blame my dad and my uncles. They always looked so cool drinking and laughing and having fun as they roasted meat. These men would drink a crate of beer each 😂 I aspired to reach their levels of greatness 😂
#MasculinityKE

5. The strength to fight. Being chubby didn't help. I could fight really well on, the inside. Maybe that's why Twitter works for me 😂 I can remember three fights I got in 😁 Only one was sort of about a girl 😂
#MasculinityKE

6. Having a car. Dad was a crazy and fun driver and all his friends had cars and sometimes they would have foolish races😂
I wanted to put my elbow out of the window as I drove with one hand. It was the dream😂 Men are still taking loans for this dream
#MasculinityKE

7. Cigarettes. Cigarette ads were really cool and some did work to target youth and teens, intentionally. Blowing the smoke out of your mouth without a care in the world was my dream and again- older men made it look so cool

#MasculinityKE

8. Money. Dad was the go- to for fees and everything. He was the money man. A man meant money and money meant a man. This may explain our amalgamation of masculinity and money. Money is still a really big thing though.
#MasculinityKE

9. Using deodorant and after shave. My mom wouldn't let us use any deodorant as young kids because she felt it wasn't good for our skin but dad used to use Brut deo. I would sneak it and feel like I was grown up

#MasculinityKE

10. Wearing a suit. I'd long for the day I'd be able to dress up in a suit and tie and use cufflinks and a tie clip. I grew up and hate them all and wear formal clothes for funerals and khaki pants for weddings. Unless you pay me well enough, then we can negotiate

#MasculinityKE

Share your little things you felt that being a man was all about, as silly as they might have been 😂

#MasculinityKE

I'm sure you have stories here😅

what were yours?