As a guy, I have never been too fond of Matthew McConaughey. As most of us guys know, women seem to just fawn over him all the time, and who wants to go out to the movies and PAY to have your wife or girlfriend (if you are not married of course) be all transfixed upon him rather than you……after all guys, it’s all about us, right? But in all truth, in all the time I have been alive ANY conversation I have heard about him when there has been a woman involved has ALWAYS included some sort of reference to how “dreamy” he is (to use a reference from my grandma’s time rather than a modern one, as we guys really tire of that sort of thing).
So since I have not ever had to, I have not watched anything with him in it. It has not been a very intentional protest like my insistence to not watch anything with Kathy Griffin or a few others, but I just have not made the time for it. After all, I graduated from high school in 1979, so paying to relive a life I have already lived by watching “Dazed and Confused” just seemed redundant and a waste of cash, but as I said, I was not really committed to the avoidance cause. I really do not watch much at all anyway.
But I do read a lot online, and I of course post this blog. Every morning I log on and wish people a happy birthday (if it is their birthday) and every night I write and post. And today, after logging on to do the birthday thing this morning, I read a few things and one was about Matthew McConaughey and his acceptance speech.
Yes, before I clicked on the link to the video I did look around to make sure that there were no other husbands or men around as I didn’t really want to turn in my man card or have some group of women suddenly show up in my office, while I incidentally was in my really great looking Chicago Cubs pajamas, and be all drooly over him. But seeing none, I opened the link, and what I witnessed amazed me.
You see, one of the reasons that men aren’t fond of Matthew McConaughey is that he makes us feel a bit insecure. You see the very sight of him raises women’s blood pressure and captures their attention like we used to do, and still think we do, but only in our minds. But here was a man who I judged wrongly, very wrongly in fact, and I am here willing to admit that proudly. Sure, he is good looking, and sure he is a successful movie star and all, but where I was wrong was to see him as that and only that, through the eyes of a man, which color that with a slight tinge of disdain. But as I said, I was wrong, very wrong in fact about him, and I am glad to admit that too.
Oddly enough, stereotypes really bother me and to find myself
mired on the wrong side of one is only troublesome to me if I don’t correct it. So let me say I watched the clip of his acceptance speech, not once, but many times. He was honest, faithful, charming, and unapologetic for being who he was. And that meant a lot to me as it truly convicted me about him, and how my beliefs about him were wrong.
Matthew McConaughey thanked God in his speech and people hardly clapped, I noticed that right away, but what I noticed more was him…..it didn’t bother him at all. It wasn’t about what they believed or thought, it was about what he did. And I gained not just a lot of respect for the man at that point, but a lot of admiration too.
It is not about doing battle, it is about heart and about what you believe. It always has been and it always will be. And in the end, it is who you are that matters not who you hang with or what you have achieved. He won an Academy Award for best actor, yet despite that achievement, the highest in his field, it was clear that he knew he would not be taken it with him when he leaves this earth. He put, and puts, first things first.
All this is to say, I think I am going to endure a few movie nights with my wife. He, in one small glimpse of not a character, but him as a man, has inspired me to be a better one myself. Thanks Matthew!
Goodnight and God Bless!
Tommy+