Let’s Talk About Mothers on Mother’s Day
On Mother’s Day, I find time to spend with my mother in my heart, thoughts, and prayers. My mother died five and a half years ago. I miss her, but I also keep her close. The world is impermanent,…
Where are the Men in Menstruation?
When I was a teenager, I had a few close female friends who weren’t shy about sharing when they were on their period. Some also trusted me with some basic information, like when they had cramps, or left home…
Don’t Let Her Do It
When I started doing interviews for my documentary, Girls of Summer: A Women’s Baseball Odyssey, there was one phrase that kept popping up from players, parents, coaches, MLB executives, etc. Some version of: “we should let women play baseball.” That…
Men’s Group in the Slums
On Sunday, I walked six kilometers from my home to one of Nakuru’s slums. I had been invited to facilitate a men’s group here, in a part of town I’d never been. And by the looks of the people…
Men and the Art of Active Allowing
I have found great wisdom on the simple truth that I am the only one in control of my destiny – that I am a free human being who can chose his own path. At the same time, I have found…
What it Means to Be a Man Today
When I launched Dude, Let’s Talk!, I was looking to bring awareness, conversation and discovery to being a man. I recognized that there is no prescribed answer, yet so many people I saw operated as if there is an…
Who May Speak
I spent two evenings last week at PAWA254, an arts organization in Nairobi working toward a better Kenya through supporting art and activism. I immediately noticed the walls covered in murals of powerful, wise African and African American women, with quotes…
Privilege of Walking Home After Dark
By Matthew Temple Last week, while hiking in the mountains on the east side Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, I got lost walking back to Cera’s mom’s house. Long after dark, I came to a group of six men, loading…
When Normal Life Gets Hard, Practice Like Champion
We all go through periods of feeling defeated – the loss of a job, a financial hit, a reprimand from a partner or boss, or even waking up and realizing “I’ve been doing this same thing for years and…
You’re Wrong (and that’s a good thing)
Some topics really rile us up – and the questions of “what it means to be a man”, gender and masculinity are usually on the list of those topics. And when we get heated, it’s usually because we think…