Real Men and Their Flaws

My eldest son, who recently turned fourteen, reminded me the other day that men have flaws that often times do not end up in romance novels.  But maybe some of the flaws should find their way onto our pages.  Can’t our heroes be more realistic and still charm the socks off us?

My house was a bustle of crazy insanity early one morning, as all five of my kids ran around trying to gather their things for school at the last minute.  My oldest son complained that he couldn’t find his jacket.  As I rushed through the house helping the younger kids gather backpacks, I gave him ideas of places where it might be, but he insisted that he’d looked in all of those places.  He stood in the middle of the living room looking lost.

Once I had everyone together at the door, I opened the entry closet to get my youngest son’s jacket and stopped short.  There, hanging on a hanger, plain as day, was my oldest son’s jacket.  I took it out and waved it in front of him.  

“What!  That wasn’t there a minute ago.  I just looked in there,” he said to me with a slack jaw.

I could only shake my head and do my best to stifle a giggle.  I told him, “You have now officially entered manhood.”

And that got me thinking about romantic heroes.  Color-blind ones who need help making sure they don’t wear one blue and one black sock.  Ones who continually misplaces their car keys.  Or one who is a neat freak that gets bothered when the heroine drops things on the floor.  Flaws that can be annoying, but really, they make the man real.  He can still save the day, team up with the heroine to get things done, make decisions, fight for the girl and all the other wonderful things heroes do.  

Just something to think about.