The Humbling Jaguar

What is the definition of a man’s man? A man that will stand up to adversity no matter what happens? A man who remains unfazed in the face of the most lethal peril? A man who leads other men into combat and certain death at the hands of the foe? A man whose charisma trumps the natural energy of a Gandhi? A man who makes a woman feel like a natural woman? A man who will do what it takes?

I guess we’ll never fully know — this sort of definition is not only subject to our individual little eye, but it is ever changing in accordance with transient movements. Yet no matter what being a real man means to you, there’s no denying that Jack fits perfectly into most description.

Standing tall, rugged and cool, he is not an alpha; he is not a beta; he is not an omega. If any classification comes to mind, then that of the lone wolf. Jack is independent. Jack is strong. Jack is non-reactive. Jack is the ultimate contemporary man who doesn’t wear make up to an interview; whose voice will calm you down despite the most fearsome, shriek-inducing circumstance. Jack is fiercely determined and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

Walking with the world at this feet, Jack constituted a prominent instance of self-fulfilling profecies: he grew up with constant, universal acclaim and praise for his intellectual and physical traits. Bulletproof confidence and astronomic ego characterized his versatile personality. As per usual in these cases, Jack additionally showcased inhuman levels of arrogance; his self-belief mistaken for pride; his intellect mistaken for genius; his good looks immediately hatching feelings of intimidation upon meeting him.

Every step, every peep perforated the distractive looks of the minimalist crowd; be it man, be it woman, one’s attention would eventually shift towards Jack’s unassailable steelio.

His story commences in a forlorn pub in the midst of the Ecuadorian humid heat; lighting up his cigarette with a fashionable jerk of his ancient metallic lighter, he would contemplate empty air as if spellbound by a mesmerizing work of art — as if Mona Lisa herself would invisibly and mysteriously captivate Jack’s stare. One would not be at fault for assuming he had all the time in the world — yet a more pressing question pierced every patron’s mind akin to a violent, fast moving…