For me, as always, the hardest part is having sexual desires that are incompatible with my current relationship situation.
I don’t have problems that I imagine a lot of men have. It’s not difficult for me to express my emotions—in private, anyway, and as long as they seem appropriate (I wasn’t comfortable snuffling and getting choked up about an animated movie in front of my daughter—I thought she’d think I was silly). I can also perceive, identify, and talk about my emotional life.
I don’t have any issues with my wife making more money than I do. I don’t mind us sharing our work equally at home—at least, the work I think is necessary. I find it ridiculous that she maintains some traditional gender differences, such as feeling it is my job and only my job to take care of rodents. I don’t approve of her setting a role model for our daughter that does not include spending time outdoors.
I don’t feel a need to be macho or aggressive. I don’t feel a need to project dangerousness. I know that I wouldn’t want to cross me, because I’d end up not knowing which way was up.
I’m not afraid of expressing affection for my male friends. It doesn’t bother me if someone thinks I’m gay.
I am not afraid of taking care of my children. I think they are a wonderful gift and I like doing things with them mostly. Sometimes I do want some alone time.
I think that all those things are much harder for most men. I think that even if men thought the way I do, a lot of them wouldn’t admit it to other men. If most men had some form of sensitive feelings or sensitivities, I think they would do their damnedest to hide them from any other guy.
Those a some of my candidates for hard things for men to do, these days. But most of them aren’t my problem.