Obviously, a young man is a relative term depending on the observer. From my perspective, a young man would be 18 years old to early thirties. Please give it a little wiggle room on either side. We also have to factor in if said young man has just entered the mentioned age range or is exiting. If just entering, then no one would expect to acquire all five within moments. Get a couple of checks, pay the bills, and then go out and knock out one on the list. There are a few things in life that every young man should own or be actively working on acquiring.
- Good pair of work boots. Owning a pair of work boots for someone who has a job that demands them is obviously true, but I would argue that, in my opinion, it is just as important no matter what the job. There will be a time when a chore has to be finished or a friend needs a favor. Work boots are not the thing to go cheap on. A good pair can be pricey so plan on spending a few bucks. You won’t regret it.
- Sharp pocketknife. I love the line in the book, Traveling with Charley by John Steinback. “Then I jumped and fumbled my way aboard her. For the first time in my life, I had a knife when I needed it. The bracketing wayward boats…” Ever since I read that I have always tried to have a knife at hand. Luckily, I have never needed a pocketknife in a life-threatening situation, but I have needed it for a myriad of tasks. Also, of equal importance, is knowing how to sharpen that knife.
- One decent suit. Make your Momma proud and own at least one serviceable suit. Family celebrations and tragedies call for showing up in respectable attire. You will be prepared with a suit in the closet because tragedies are always a surprise. I read somewhere that luck is simply an opportunity meeting being prepared. You will be ready for that job interview or for that opportunity. Be ready to be lucky.
- Set of basic hand tools. A proper set of tools takes a lifetime to acquire. It feels like that about the time I get that proper set I will be too old to use it. Such is life. It starts with the basics. Everyone has an idea of what a basic set of hand tools entails but just start with what you may need around the house or for your vehicle. A hammer, a couple of screwdrivers, a pair of pliers…etc.
- Have a plan. This is a slightly larger concept. Questions need to be asked. Where am I going? What are my goals? How am I going to get there? That is a good start and don’t be afraid to fail. Only the extremely lucky or extremely talented have never felt the bitter sting of failure. Learn from it and overcome it with a new plan.
I guess you could say this is a list for every man at every age but, in my opinion, once the five above are filled, they stay filled and energy and attention are pointed to other, loftier goals. I’m certain there is plenty of room for discussion as to what to add to the list but I purposely wanted it to be objects that were affordable. Maybe impossible for some to acquire all at once but absolutely attainable over a reasonable amount of time. Did I miss anything? Is the list too short? What should be the next five things? Reach out on my social media and let me know what you think.
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