Still Here

Some of us were built to stay when the foundation shifts.

I read your words, and they hit like a fist to the chest. You’re right, too right. The world tells men to open up, to let the cracks show, but when they do, it’s like the air shifts. People step back. Not out of hate, not always, but out of something quieter, something that stings worse: self-preservation. You called it a backup plan, and damn, that phrase burns. It’s not a loud betrayal, it’s a glance, a hesitation, a sudden weight you feel when the ones you carry start looking for firmer ground.

I’ve seen it. The man who finally admits he’s breaking, only to watch his confession turn into a spotlight on his fragility. The friend who says, “I’m here for you,” but their eyes say, “Just don’t lean too hard.” The partner who loves him fiercely but starts double-checking the locks on their own heart, just in case. It’s not malice. It’s human. And it hurts like hell.

You asked what a man does with that. With the lesson that vulnerability comes with a price tag nobody warned him about. I don…