Woi it col it col:

Last week at the 312 bus stop sat an old man..

Brown suit. Brown hat. Off white shirt…Washed probably more times then can be remembered. Purely because these type of men do not throw such things away. They look after them the best they can, and the colour lost is no reason to throw a shirt. Anyway it shows history. Black shoes. Polished.  Yellow socks. Pocket handkerchief.. White with bluish silver stripes.

Hands. Tattooed with lines that represent Hard work.

It’s disrespectful to simply call them ‘Wrinkled’..

Gold Wedding band hangs loosely, but proudly.

I look at this man and I think of my Granddad.

I smile and tilt my head, he does the same then, in the same broken English my Granddad used and my Grandmother uses, he said

“Woi it col it col” (Translations “wow its cold its cold”)

My reaction to this was one of those chuckling laughs, that’s short lived, for fear of tears following..

I miss my Granddad.

I realise that there are no Men in my life from my Granddad’s time.

None..

I then realised that soon all the men from my Granddad’s generation will die..

This is the second time death seemed like a issue. A problem.

The first being my Granddad’s death..

These men worked hard, looked after there families, purchased houses.

Dressed immaculately… Knew the rules, had faith and principles.

Boys today? *Deep sigh*

Pants that don’t fit, no idea of shoe care, 3 baby-mothers, no job, no money for SMA milk but still finds cash for a draw… Really? Walking around with that bedroom weed smell.. Really?

Please do not think for one moment that I am not talking to all races.. I used the example of the man above obviously because that relates to me, my upbringing, my idea of a good successful family man is my Granddad.. The only good thing about this generation is that we are so mixed in cultures that when starting to write this piece I didn’t feel like I needed to start with a point of reference.. I hope I wasn’t wrong..

We are losing our gentlemen. The image of real men walking these streets is disappearing, all we have now is grown men running around still trying to play cops and robbers.. Unfortunately sometimes with real guns..

We are forgetting what it is to be a man to be a  gentlemen How sad is that?