Shakespearean Sticker Soliloquy

I can’t decide if I should take the backing off the sticker, or if I should save it for later: once you peel the back of the sticker off you can’t really put it back on, the back will just keeping falling off; trying to keep it sticky side up would seem like a solution, but that won’t work either, it will still lose its stickiness, so you can’t do that either. The sticker would collect all sorts of particles; they will not come off, which, being stuck to the sticker, would render it useless: it would not adhere to any surface no matter how much you wanted it to. Therefore when the back is peeled off it should be immediately be stuck wherever you want; first, you should have in mind where you want it to go, you should plan on keeping the sticker there forever; then, peel the back off, and place it in that very spot, and apply force. Yes, because you don’t want it to accidentally fall off, however if you did want it to come off it won’t be easy, and likely won’t turn out well, especially if you want to reuse it, the sticker won’t be the same; it might rip, or it may lose its adhesiveness, but lets not forget the possibility it may not come off, you’ll have to use a chisel, or even some mayonnaise, which is a real thing, try it if you don’t mind risking the life of your sticker. It’s hard to decide what to do with a sticker, imagine peeling off the back and having it stay in one place forever, it’s just too big of a commitment to live with.

What does it mean to be a man?

In American culture men are held to certain expectations, some of which are harmful to the individual and their communities. Even though they are harmful, a number of these expectations are still followed. Traits that are used to describe masculinity include: strong, aggressive, intelligent, competitive, confident, and stoic. The opposite of masculinity is femininity, and any men that have feminine attributes or characteristics are looked down upon by society. They are often told to “man up” and to not be a sissy.


Men are expected to be strong, not only in a physical sense but also mentally. For example it is embarrassing or shameful to cry. As boys in our culture, they are surrounded by sports, guns, etc. They are taught from an early age to be aggressive and tough. The harm of these expectations start early. As individuals they aren’t able to explore themselves-what they like and dislike and so forth. They have to bottle up certain emotions which is unhealthy for one’s well-being. As an extreme result, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reports that men have suicide rates that are 4 times higher than that of women. However one can make the argument that some of these expectations are beneficial. Since men are expected to be confident and smart, it pushes them to reach their potential.


Not all men fit the expectations provided by the American culture. Even though men are expected to be the provider and “bring home the bacon,” not all do. There are men that stay home and take care of children and do housework. There are aspects of society that haven’t quite adjusted to this reality. In public bathrooms, fathers don’t have access to the baby changing tables that are provided in womens’ restrooms. The parking lot at my physician’s office has parking slots reserved for “mothers and children.” Interestingly someone took a marker and added “+ fathers” to one of them. I have a male friend who enjoys romantic comedies. This defies the stereotype that men should watch or enjoy “shoot ‘em up” or action packed movies. Other members of the present American culture, view men being in touch with their emotions, as an attractive quality. Nothing is the same among all men, some will say its necessary to adhere to certain expectations, whereas others will think its ridiculous to believe in those expectations.