Bill Roddy’s musings surely will resonate with many men. Deeply felt and honestly written, Manhood From The Hood shares a poignant story of one boy’s journey to manhood, and of the grandfather who, along the way, never let him forget he was loved, his family, and his responsibility to his community.
”As I continue to navigate life as a mature man, I wonder: With all my efforts, am I truly leaving a vital legacy for the next male generation? Should I, could I do more? Or is my influence running out of strength and time? I’m just one man. Then again, so was my grandfather. So are millions of men throughout our land–grandfathers, fathers, uncles, brothers. Did my grandfather concern himself with how well he was succeeding as a man, as a father, as a grandfather? Perhaps he lacked the luxury of introspection about the quality of his role in his family and in his community. Perhaps he was simply too busy being. I regret that I never asked him.”