Terry Real

I wouldn't put up with that if I was you.

That's not the support I want.

That's not the only relationship you need to have.

You need to have a place in the world, and you need to have good work, and you need to have a purpose, and you need to have community, and you need to have other buddies.

And you can also have buddies who are women, too.

I mean, I don't want to get so narrow in the idea of fraternity.

I'm going to say I want community because, you know, why everybody's turning to you is like, well, you be a good dad.

You be a mentor.

Here, take my kid and they need you.

Of course, they do.

And you're right, go be with somebody and you don't have to have a heart-to-heart.

I don't want you to have nobody that you can have a heart-to-heart with, but let's start somewhere and just go be with someone.

That's community.

And yes, men with men, but also just community in general.

It doesn't have to be a man.

And I do want to say this.

Men don't exclusively need men to teach them how to be men.

Lesbian parents can teach boys how to be men.

Single moms can teach boys how to be men.

We get obsessed with this idea that only a man can raise a boy.