One of my best friends got married in 2004. She asked me to be the maid of honor, and I was touched since I'd known her and her now-husband for about 12 years at the point. They'd been living together for five years prior, so I was kind of surprised they had any desire to make it legal - I figured that it wasn't that important to them.
Gifts for them were a bit of a struggle for me since I knew they had all of the necessities. Their wedding gift came easily enough since I knew they were wine enthusiasts. But a bridal shower gift? Hmmm. Figuring five years was long enough to need inspiration, I bought an illustrated Kama Sutra along with massage oils and other accoutrements. The bride blushed when she opened it (a first!) and squealed "THANK you!" Her mother-in-law grabbed it and said "You're not doing THAT with my son, are you??"
Yikes. After five years, one can only hope.
I've owned a non-illustrated version of the Kama Sutra for many years and never read much. I cracked it last night and began reading about stimulating erotic desire, embraces, and petting and caresses. (Bear with me - The Bloke's out of town, so I've gotta make do with my own imagination and props...) It's a delight to read that biting and scratching is considered a normal part of erotic play instead of kinky aberrations. I also learned of all sorts of playful positions, like laying breasts in between a man's thighs to stimulate desire.
I suppose what is most notable to me is the healthy view of sex. Judeo-Christian values have indelibly fucked this country up, and it's always a shock to me to see how many hangups people have about healthy sexual exploration. We've become a nation that forces constant titillation through the media but then judges any sort of indulgement. Quite frankly, any sort of god that would give us the gorgeous gift of our bodies and condemn us for enjoying them sounds like an evil, twisted bastard. But that's just me.
Reading the Kama Sutra reminded me of an exercise we did in grad school: everyone in a class about public education and culture had to make alist of the ten books he or she thought everyone should read. The Bible and The Autobiography of Malcolm X headed most peoples lists (this was in NYC), but I don't recall anyone including eastern philosophy or literature of any kind. I'd add the Kama Sutra; I'd love to see children learn how to enjoy themselves and their partners with respect instead of learning how to be too scared to ask for a condom.
Anyway, excuse me while I go practice venudaritaka, or 'the broken flute.' I have to make sure I can stretch that way before I attempt it...
Gifts for them were a bit of a struggle for me since I knew they had all of the necessities. Their wedding gift came easily enough since I knew they were wine enthusiasts. But a bridal shower gift? Hmmm. Figuring five years was long enough to need inspiration, I bought an illustrated Kama Sutra along with massage oils and other accoutrements. The bride blushed when she opened it (a first!) and squealed "THANK you!" Her mother-in-law grabbed it and said "You're not doing THAT with my son, are you??"
Yikes. After five years, one can only hope.
I've owned a non-illustrated version of the Kama Sutra for many years and never read much. I cracked it last night and began reading about stimulating erotic desire, embraces, and petting and caresses. (Bear with me - The Bloke's out of town, so I've gotta make do with my own imagination and props...) It's a delight to read that biting and scratching is considered a normal part of erotic play instead of kinky aberrations. I also learned of all sorts of playful positions, like laying breasts in between a man's thighs to stimulate desire.
I suppose what is most notable to me is the healthy view of sex. Judeo-Christian values have indelibly fucked this country up, and it's always a shock to me to see how many hangups people have about healthy sexual exploration. We've become a nation that forces constant titillation through the media but then judges any sort of indulgement. Quite frankly, any sort of god that would give us the gorgeous gift of our bodies and condemn us for enjoying them sounds like an evil, twisted bastard. But that's just me.
Reading the Kama Sutra reminded me of an exercise we did in grad school: everyone in a class about public education and culture had to make alist of the ten books he or she thought everyone should read. The Bible and The Autobiography of Malcolm X headed most peoples lists (this was in NYC), but I don't recall anyone including eastern philosophy or literature of any kind. I'd add the Kama Sutra; I'd love to see children learn how to enjoy themselves and their partners with respect instead of learning how to be too scared to ask for a condom.
Anyway, excuse me while I go practice venudaritaka, or 'the broken flute.' I have to make sure I can stretch that way before I attempt it...
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