Combing your hair with a wagon wheel does not bump you into the category of "Fine Men"...

Let me start this entry first by saying that we are each entitled to our own opinions. Anyone that has ever read my past blogs definitely should know by now that I certainly have an opinion on things...just about ALL things. This, my friends, is my opinion of how a "Fine Man" should be...


...Most everyone remembers singing this song with someone as a child (I sang it with my grandma), but, was Mr. Tucker truly a "fine old man"? Let's take a closer look:

• combed his hair with a wagon wheel
• washed his face in a frying pan
• died of the toothache in his heel (??)
• apparently, he rode a 'darby ram' and was thrown from it, and if he hadn't gotten up he'd be laying there still...

Hmmm, I am guessing that times have seriously changed since Dan's Day. I don't think any of these things would give someone a passing grade for being or becoming a fine man. Sure, I can see how it may save a bit on the bills and spending, but who the heck wants to brush their hair with the wagon wheel? Especially since you can get a cheapo brush for a buck.  Sheesh.  As a child I only knew the first part of this song, and the chorus. I had no clue that it actually dragged on forever! Had I known that, it may have been a more fun song to sing, but unfortunately, I didn't learn that until this minute. Ahh well.

Ok, so, I haven't inserted ALL of the 'amazing' things that Mr. Tucker was famous for, just the first few that most of us know about. I am not sure that these things are such that would make someone a fine man...in fact, I am going to go with a "NO" on this one. I will admit that the things he is known for doing would definitely help out with the bills since these are very cheap knock-offs of the actual items that he could have used (like a regular brush??). They were most likely easily picked up and he could save on some gas since he probably just mosied on out to his front yard to get them (like the wagon wheel...) I am sure that the money he saved by using these items went directly into his savings account for any emergency that could have potentially happened in the future...lol. 

I think the things that make a man (or anyone for that matter) 'Fine' would actually be very inexpensive items. The things that matter most in life, or I should say 'should matter' most in life, are the following:

• God
• wife(/husband)
• children
• extended family
• every single other person in the world
• yourself

This is the exact order. This is also biblical and was given to us by God in the Holy Bible.
As far as other things, this is my basic opinion of what a fine man is...

No man should treat any woman without the utmost respect. That ends that. There should not be any other way to treat a woman (and the same goes with the way a woman should treat a man, but since this is about fine 'men' that is what we will stick with on this one...). Men should be the less prideful and more loving, compassionate, or understanding when it comes to any decisions or finances that need to be discussed. It should not be a 'War of the Egos" when it comes to making one decision.

• Quick Note* Marriage is a sacred vow between a man, a woman, and GOD. This is something that is entered into voluntarily, and should be back by love. If there is no love in the marriage, that is when issues of trust, domestic violence, abuse, and other things start to play a huge role in marriages. You cannot enter into a marriage if these things are already going on with your dating life because 9 times out of 10, they only get worse. It is very seldom that things get better over the years.

Many men are missing basic 'gentleman' skills. These they should have been taught as a child, but some are not. Parents have seriously gotten to a very selfish point over the years/decades that leads them to be more interested in their own selves, or their friends, boyfriend/girlfriend (especially for single parenthood), that addressing issues with their children, or teaching them basic moral values for life is way beyond what they would normally think to do. Don't get me wrong, I do believe there are still people out there that do their very best to teach their children values and morals, but a large percentage of our nation does not have time for it anymore. This is the reason many people grow up with bitter or hateful attitudes. They are missing out on attention that they should have received as a child, and as an adult, they have no clue what the 'correct' way to get that attention would be.

• opening doors for other people
• being (or at least acting) interested in someone's conversation
• waiting your turn to speak/not interrupting someone while they speak
• making time for friends sometimes since all of your time is spent with your family
• working a full-time job to support your family (That You Made)
• treating people with respect
• learning from your mistakes, or at least knowing right from wrong

...this list could go on and on. However, everyone has these basic skills inside of them, even if they are underlying somewhere. Some people may have them waaaay down deep, but they are still there.
Was Old Dan Tucker a fine old man? He may have been. Unfortunately, we did not get to hear about any of the things that he should have been doing as a 'man'. Yes, combing your hair and keeping up your appearance are positive things, so he must receive credit for those things, but the things listed above are more of what we should have been hearing.
If any man wants to have a family that respects him as the father of the house/man of the house/husband of the house, etc.. then he has to respect his family, that he himself made, and provide for them. I am not saying that every wife has to be a stay-at-home mom, but sometimes that is more convenient, and it saves a lot of money. Also, I am saying that as the king of the castle, you need to be th
It is a man's job to work and provide for his family. He is suppose to love his family with his whole heart, and show or prove to them that is true by providing for them. They come first on the list, right after GOD. Here's the difference, you cannot expect an awesome relationship with your children, or expect people to respect you when you have zero respect for them. It is just not going to happen because that is in our nature. We are human. Many people try to still treat people right despite what they have done to them in their pasts, but I think that is moreso because they know it is the right way to treat someone.

The Bible says:
Proverbs 10:4~ Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
Proverbs is especially filled with wisdom concerning laziness and warnings to the lazy person. Proverbs tells us that a lazy person hates work: “The sluggard's craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work” (21:25); he loves sleep: “As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed” (26:14); he gives excuses: “The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets’” (26:13); he wastes time and energy: “He who is slothful in his work is a brother to him who is a great waster” (18:9 KJV); he believes he is wise, but is a fool: “The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly” (26:16).
It is very important you are clear on what you want your adult life to be, before you start it. Remember, GOD gives all of us free will, which means we get to make our own decisions. He will never make any of us choose to believe in Him, or not to believe in Him. However, if you just give it a chance to see what all the fuss is about, I guarantee you will be forever grateful to Him for changing and transforming your life into something you have always dreamed but never imagined achieving...it will be your reality if you just do what you are suppose to be doing. It is in your hands, and you will forever hold the guilt of not having a relationship with your family, especially your children if you desire to not stay home with your family or abandon them to go live the single life...as they get older, they will not have any interest in you or what you are doing and by then you will just be flat out lonely and not have a thing to fall back on. Think about it, if you don't have time to be bothered by them now, do you seriously think that in another 10 or so years (when they are teenagers) that they will make time for your old butt?? Absolutely NOT.

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is one of the commandments God has asked us to uphold. If we all did this, what an awesome world this would be! However, it is very rare that you meet even just one person in your day that does this all the time...or let's face it, anytime. This would require you to treat other people (even people that you don't even know) like you would treat your own self if it was you in their spot...that is something to think about. That one hits me pretty hard, and was actually one of my resolutions this year. I am still working on that one. 

Ok, I will wrap this one up. I know I started off with Mr. Dan there, and even though I think I strayed from the topic a tiny bit, you still get the picture of what I am talking about. 

Basic Moral of this story?
If you treat other people, especially your children/wife like you would expect other people to treat you in that situation, then your life would be an awesome life.

Good Luck with this one friends! This will seriously hit home for many of you, and I am not trying to intentionally make anyone feel bad by any means but am praying that this will be an enlightening read for you.