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A Manly Interview with Darrien Hodson
What up, guys! On our Friday shows, we normally just have me flying solo, but today, we’re going to do something a little bit different. I have one of the most manly men that I have ever come across in my life, and he is going to talk to us a little about being a man. So, please introduce yourself… what’s your name?
Darrien Hodson.
MIKE: Is it true that you are my nine-year-old son?
DARRIEN: Yes.
MIKE: Awesome. So, Darrien, let me ask you a few amazing questions. First, what’s the greatest Pokemon in the world?
DARRIEN: Dialga.
MIKE: What does Dialga do?
DARRIEN: He’s a legendary Pokemon.
MIKE: But, of course. Okay, what’s better: Pokemon or Mindcraft?
DARRIEN: I won’t answer that question.
MIKE: (Laughter) Okay, so Darrien, you’re going to grow up to become a man. Why do you want to be a man?
DARRIEN: Because I want to grow up to be exactly like you.
MIKE: Hopefully you do that better than I do! So, what makes a man A MAN? What do men do?
DARRIEN: They’re helpful, kind, generous. That’s pretty much all I know because I’m not a man yet.
MIKE: Okay. Let me ask you this, buddy: Who are some of the men in your life that you look up to? Who are men that you think are really cool and you want to be like them?
DARRIEN: My principal, Mr. Seacrest, you, my two older brothers… that’s pretty much all… basically my family.
MIKE: I know of a few others, so I’m just going to suggest a few. What about Grandpa? Ben? Ryan? And then, there’s Micah, Andy… the list goes on and on. So, of those guys we named, what did they do that you look at and say, “Hey! I want to do some of that!”
DARRIEN: They are polite, funny, careful, and care much about their families.
MIKE: Cool. So, since we love Jesus and we talk about Jesus a lot in our house, tell me, why do you follow Jesus?
DARRIEN: I follow Jesus because… well, first, I didn’t really know about Him until I joined this family. And then, you took me to church and I sorta liked it. And, Jesus sounds like a cool man and so I sorta wanted to grow up to be like Him. I want to be polite and do the good stuff that He does.
MIKE: So, what are some of those good things that Jesus does?
DARRIEN: Well, He is very generous. He saved a lot of lives. He is very, very outgoing. And He’s not afraid of anything.
MIKE: So, do you think you could be a man and not follow Jesus?
DARRIEN: Yeah.
MIKE: What would that look like?
DARRIEN: Well, I don’t have to follow Jesus to be good. I could be good without following Jesus by being polite, helpful, generous, outgoing, and brave.
MIKE: Okay. Now, when you add Jesus into that mix, does it make it better?
DARRIEN: Yes.
MIKE: So, what about following Jesus makes life different?
DARRIEN: Now that I believe in Him, I can trust Him and do more things than I could before.
MIKE: If there was somebody that asked you, “Darrien, how do I become a man? How can I become a man who follows Jesus and does good things?” What advice would you give them?
DARRIEN: Well, I would tell them, “You should be polite, be helpful, be outgoing, brave, strong… and basically anything that is good.”
MIKE: Who did you learn that from? Who taught you “how to be a man”? Who are your “man teachers”?
DARRIEN: You.
MIKE: Ahh… shucks.
DARRIEN: Tylie, Micah, Ryan, George, Andy, Grandpa… a lot of people who are men… and some women.
MIKE: Women taught you how to be a man?
DARRIEN: Well, they taught me how to be polite.
MIKE: What are some dumb things that men think are important but we either don’t really need to do or shouldn’t do?
DARRIEN: Women.
MIKE: Women are dumb??!
DARRIEN: No!
MIKE: Then, what do you mean by that?
DARRIEN: We shouldn’t think about women in inappropriate ways. Because, that basically means that we only think about how they look and how rich they are. We need to look at them of how strong, beautiful, and brave they are… things that are encouraging, not just like… “Hey, you’re pretty!” and that’s it.
MIKE: I totally agree. Because they are sisters, they are moms… they are our family in Jesus. And that’s why men protect women, right?
DARRIEN: Yup!
MIKE: And are we real men if we treat women bad?
DARRIEN: Nope.
MIKE: So, we are protectors and providers, and we support and help out. So, what would you tell a guy if he doesn’t treat a girl right?
DARRIEN: You’re a bad guy!
MIKE: Very powerful. Are there any questions you’d like to ask me?
DARRIEN: What’s it like being a man?
MIKE: What’s it like being a man? Umm… It’s a lot of responsibility because other people depend on me and because I want to be a good example for you, your brothers and your little sister. I want to show you what it’s like to be a man, but I also want to show your sister what it’s like to be loved by a good guy and a husband. So, I need to love mom right, so she sees what’s going on. I need to make good choices that are not just about me, but about you guys. It’s also cool because I’m hairy and I can make funny shounds with my butt and my mouth and..
DARRIEN: Okay… you just crossed a line a little!
MIKE: It’s a lot of work and it’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s awesome. I wouldn’t change it for anything else. I love being a man!
DARRIEN: How do you become a man? Especially a man like you?
MIKE: A man like me? First, you make a whole lotta mistakes, then you pray to Jesus and ask for help!
DARRIEN: Okay… maybe I should ask someone else!
MIKE: Yeah, probably! How do you become a man? You make “the tough decision”. Meaning, if something is easy – like lying, cheating or stealing – but something might be tough – like telling the truth or being generous and caring and taking care of others – you choose to do the right thing, even though it may be tough. When you see something that needs to be done, you take care of it. Because, that’s just what you do. For me, it also means that I follow Jesus because Jesus gave me the ultimate example of what being a man looks like. So, it’s tough. Being a little boy is easy, but being a man takes some work sometimes. You know what I mean?
DARRIEN: Uh huh.
MIKE: Alright… last question. Who is a better singer/rapper/producer/MC: Bizzle or me?
DARRIEN: You suck. Bizzle!
MIKE: (Laughter) Don’t ask a question if you can’t handle the answer! Well, son, I love you. I’m proud of you. I’m very excited to be a part of your “Manhood Journey”. And I pray everyday that I am a good man to lead you and our family. Thanks for helping me, and all the other guys out there, learn to be a man!
DARRIEN: Can we do this again?
MIKE: Maybe some other time! Any last words of advice? Any final words for all your fans out there?
DARRIEN: You guys should know that I am pretty majestic with my words and actions.
MIKE: True story!