Christopher Veal, author, speaker, coach, and combat veteran (Marines), begins today’s discussion about his new book,
The Whole Man: Evolving Masculinity, with a critical dissection of masculinity in our recent history.
There are, as Christopher muses, two versions of masculinity in the 21st century - healthy and unhealthy - and he admits that his greatest call to exploring this topic was his own daughter, and his desire to be a good example of healthy masculinity in her life.
Christopher touches on the importance of evolving masculinity, tipping our hats to Charles Darwin as we riff on keeping the best traits whilst striving for growth.
His history included nine years in the Marine Corps, nearly seven years working construction… and even with all that arguably “manly” stuff on his CV, Christopher felt unable to show up on construction sites as his whole self. He was criticized, after the birth of his daughter, for taking parental leave, lest he be caught doing “women’s work.”
We dive into masculine and feminine energies, riffing on how both exist within each of us, and Christopher gives examples of each type of masculinity in action, touching on the patriarchal history of our society, and the messaging that continues to flood young people through popular media.
After a brief nerd-out about comic books, we move onto a premise central to Christopher’s message - CAPES (Curiosity, Awareness, Presence, Emotional Health and Stay) - an acronym he plays with in his book as guideposts for evolving men.
We visit the stigma surrounding men and mental health, and the impact that stigma has, not only on men, but on the fabric of the larger culture.