Impact Of Economic Downturn Continues To Haunt Men

Last weekend there was a story in my local paper about a man who had lost his job and consequently killed himself and his wife and critically injured his two grown sons. Of course no one knows for sure that the shootings were related to his job loss, but that is the working assumption.

We men identify strongly with our jobs and our ability to support our families. A dedication to this is admirable and it is part of our DNA. On the other hand, such a tight identification with the trappings of life cause us to lose sight of what’s really important.

I was troubled when I read this story thinking that had this man attended our Wolf At The Door series in which we talk about the impact of this economic downturn on men and their families, perhaps he could have found an empathetic ear or even some options to deal with his sense of loss.

The more I am involved in this work, the more I’m convinced that men need to talk to each other about real stuff. We gloss over our big concerns, bottling them up until they explode and damage us, our loved ones, and, in some cases, innocent bystanders.

A new Wolf At The Door series is starting on October 26th facilitated by Joe Forti, an excellent facilitator. If you are local to the North Mecklenburg, NC area, you might want to consider attending. If you are outside the area, you might want to consider establishing a group at your church or synagogue. It’s easy to do and it can help, really help troubled men.