"Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them." – Albert Einstein

The second quote in Sarah’s Quote Challenge is provide by Sabine:

Darling, a true lady takes off her dignity with her clothes and does her whorish best.
At other times you can be as modest and dignified as your persona requires.
— Lazarus Long (Robert A. Heinlein)

 

I had a whole post written out in my head for this.  Then procrastination got the better of me.  Then I read other folks’ responses.

My.  Controversial much?

While I tend to cringe at Mr. Heinlein’s choice of wording (the term implies a business relationship inappropriate, in my opinion, unless you ARE a professional), I feel it necessary to remind folks that “Time Enough for Love” was published in 1973.  A lot has happened in 33 years.  In 1973, the entire concept of public sexuality was still in the exploratory stages.  Cut the man some slack.

So, the short response is – I agree with Sabine. 

Lest you think I am copping out, I am going to bring on a comparison to those two polite-conversation-forbidden topics, sex and religion.  The comparison may be more apt than you think.

In the crowd, I tend to hang with, if I am a sexual person, and I wear my sexuality out on my sleeve (or in people’s faces, as the case may be), I am liberated. 

If I am a religious person, and I wear my religion on my sleeve (or in people’s faces, as the case may be) I am a fanatical fundamentalist nut.

Now reverse the situations.

In another crowd, I am lewd (at best, I have heard worse) and enlightened (or righteous, or upright), respectively.

Both views are hypocritical.

Folks, nothing annoys me more than public display for the sole purpose of shock value.  I am saying SOLE purpose, because I think there is a place for the genuine use of titillation to make a point.  But in my experience, most of it is just gratuitous.

My religion is between me and my God.

The antics of my bedroom are between my and my man.

And I am, by way of record, far from a prude.  I just don’t feel it necessary to prove it to you.

And that, my lovelies, is going to be the subject of my next quote.  Tune in Monday.

November 11th, 2006 at 11:39 am
2 Responses to “The Lady is a Tramp”
  1. 1
    Cinnkitty Says:

    I agree that certain things should be kept behind closed doors, but who dictates what is considered “acceptable PDA”? Is kissing someone with a little tongue considered too much for public? Who says? (I always think of that line from The Wedding Singer “Church Tongue”) 🙂 I know my limits and I know a lot of my friends limits, but I hate being judge by other peoples limits! 😉

  2. 2
    Tracey Says:

    Bravo Robbin! I agree completely. I guess that EVERYTHING is in the eye of the beholder, isn’t it? We can do something (or NOT do something) with the best intentions, yet someone, somehow will see it how they want to see it. If I’m snuggled up to my husband in public, someone will think that I’m an adoring sweetheart while simultaneously someone will think I’m a brazen hussy. As made so famous in The Breakfast Club: “You see us as you want to see us… In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions.”