Feels good just to sit here with a double tall cappuccino and ease into this Sabbath. My eyes are still heavy from last nights sleep and my body is worn from a week of running errands. The guy at the table across from me is wearing his Obama '08 pin, as usual, and the other bachelor, at his regular table, has no lady friend today. And guy number three, who gave a friendly "hello" as he sat to join me, is on his laptop- enough said. There's a pair of young girls to my right, but they might be older than I think, because they seem to be carrying a mature conversation. Which reminds me, my company and I had a great conversation last night. Very candidly, one of my guests shared about the first time he saw a naked woman. A mere recollection of the memory, and his eyes became wide, while a sheepish grin and rosy cheeks dressed his face beneath. He went on with his story...
He and his parents were over at a friends' house from church (something like a Sunday afternoon brunch), and he, being the lone kid, was quite ready to excuse himself from the awfully boring and mediocre conversation that had accompanied the roasted pork and applesauce. Besides, he assured himself, the lemonade he slurped down just minutes before, was calling for release. Dismissing himself from the table, he rounded the corner, leaving the dining room, and followed the faded blue carpet down the hall and into the guest bathroom. Flicked on the light switch, dropped his pants and made himself comfortable on the padded pink toiled seat. It wasn't long before he discovered the stack of periodicals and dated magazines on a dusty old shelf above the wastebasket in front of him. Stretching forward, and leaning down at the same time, he slowly pulled one out, from the very bottom of the stack.
Wow.
Perhaps an hour later, there was a knock on the bathroom door. "Sweetie, you okay?" asked the boy's mother. CRAP! How much time had passed? Was everyone waiting on him to go home? Had someone been waiting to use the bathroom? Tossing the magazine to the floor, he quick stood up, tucked in his shirt and fastened his pants. Jamming the magazine back onto the shelf, between all the Good Housekeeping’s and National Geographic’s, he reached for the sink counter to steady his stance. Remembering that his Mother was outside the bathroom door, waiting for a reply, he managed to get out “I’m okay, Mom. Be out in a sec’.” His mind, though still in a fog, was racing, and his body couldn’t seem to make any sense either, of what had just happened in that powdered blue and pink bathroom. He glanced at the overflowing shelf of magazines, checked himself in the vanity mirror and turned the doorknob. Flicking off the light, he rounded the corner, leaving the bathroom and strode down that faded blue carpet. Life was good. Immensely good.
6 comments:
Wow, I"ll never understand why guys react that way to female nakedness. I mean, I was curious too about men, but it was just curiosity. I remember staring at a picture of Michaelangelo's David curiously but it was mostly because of the oddity of the difference. That's all. GOd's wired men in this whole, different way. Funny to think he MADE them that way, to react so strongly to female nudity. I'm glad I'm not a guy so I dont' have to keep my body and mind in check every time I see a half-clad woman sauntering down the street...
OH! And I did get your voicemail...the second after I left you yours I realized that it was there, I actually did check it immediately. So glad to hear you're an Aunt again! Did you enjoy Ohio? I would REALLY love to chat with you some evening...but I dont' know when. I'm always busy Tues and Weds nights, but not Thurs so I'll try to give you a ring then...if I remember which I probably shan't, I'm sorry to say.
Isn't it amazing? My pastor preached a series on marriage one time and on understanding the way men and women are wired so differently, and this - obviously - was a big topic of discussion. He said that in Genesis, God was probably psyching Adam all up for what He was about to present him with. When they came into the clearing and God showed Eve to Adam, Adam's reaction was probably, "WOW!" while Eve was probably kind of like, "Hmm. Gee, thanks." I feel awful for men (at least I feel awful for those who care) because they have to try to remain pure in a society that makes it nearly impossible. I echo Becca's thanks that we don't have to worry about that, at least. We certainly have our fair share of things to worry about, but that - at least - is not one of them!
indeed we are starkly different from men in the sexual realm. but, it's a good difference- imagine if we were on the same page- i don't think babies would be made! i've come to appreciate, finally, the differences that make men unique. yes, we'll never fully understand the extent of these differences, but at least i've finally accepted the reality that they exist.
I'm glad you've come to that place, lauralu! I remember when you weren't quite there ;-)
You're right....either the species would die out....or nothing would ever get done. =)
ha ha! Remember that women's bible study we went to on the Song of Solomon? The guy on the video said, "If we were all wired like woman, we'd die out becuase there'd be no reproduction. If we were all wired like men, nothing would ever get done." I tried talking to Dave about it last night, asking him why men are the way they are and how he felt the first time he saw a naked woman, but apparently he was very young and all he thought is, "Man, she looks funny!"
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