A straight man’s manifesto for lovers

In which I stand against inaction…

I believe that men and women should be together, because love and sex can be among life’s greatest joys.

I recognize that as I search for love, or strive to be true to the love that I have found, I am engaged in constant battle. My opponents are the feelings that drive us to do nothing, and leave us to languish in our aloneness.

I will battle apathy and hesitation, which trap us in inaction. I will not honor the fear of what could go wrong, or the thought that doing nothing will suffice, while we all wait for a perfection that may never come.

I must have passion, resolve, and courage.

I will not give in to the false comfort of thinking that it could be okay to be alone forever.

I will grab life with both hands. Where I see attraction or chemistry, I will act on it. I will not fear rejection when I first speak to a woman, and I will not shirk my duty to communicate my interest with such simple, honest words as “I like you.” A good man is not stingy with his affection.

I will touch the women who I want, as friends touch. If they do not pull away, I will kiss them, and let that lead where it may.

I am prepared to love and lose. I will not fear the end before anything has begun.

I will not cheat. I will not steal the loves of others.

I must view my love as a gift, and to that end, I must strive to be a blessing on a woman, the hero of my own life story, and thoroughly a man of virtue.

This I commit to, for I have set my heart on love.

©Ben Hourigan, 2010

Author: Ben Hourigan

Ben Hourigan is a novelist from Melbourne, Australia. His books Kiss Me, Genius Boy and My Generation’s Lament are Amazon category bestsellers, and are available wherever good books are sold online. Ben also works as an editor, copywriter, and self-publishing consultant at his own firm, Hourigan & Co. For news and book release updates, sign up to his email newsletter.