The other fathers wished to maintain their dignity!

Without saying anything, by their action, they heeded the long-standing call that men have been given for ages, which is: “Be a Man!”

At the root of men heeding the “Be a Man” call may be found the explanation as to why some fathers, burdened by one matter or another which they refuse to share with their wives and children, suddenly fall down and die. Many people are familiar with the “I can handle it” attitude of many fathers even when it seems they are not handling anything! Instead of calling for or asking for help that they desperately need, some fathers simply hold out the I can handle

it shield, regardless of whether the ‘shield’ can help them or not. Some fathers continue to insist they can handle ‘whatever’ even when it is obvious that they are being crushed by its weight. Sometimes, the ‘I can handle it’ shield is a refusal to talk about something with their wives and children.

The peculiar nature of Dr Donald Cline’s ‘involvement’ with their wives made it a complicated matter for many of the fathers, especially its connection with their ego, pride and sense of manhood. Potentially, the issues that necessitated them reaching out to Dr Cline already threatened the ego and sense of pride of the other fathers. The issues are such that fathers are typically hesitant about addressing publicly. Infertility is not a comfortable subject for many fathers so it was expected that many would be hesitant about participating publicly in events that are bound to amplify that sense and feeling of discomfort.