…you can feel both the closeness and the distance you have built between yourself and your self (and your story(s))…writing as dense, and reflection as tight and spanning as these stories does that…there is a world where the rashomon of it all would be equally compelling… but am thankful to read your work which is such an intensely personal window into this man…
You're an amazing writer, Chris! I could feel the passion in your writing. It's 17 degrees Fahrenheit where *I* am on the east coast, and I'm feelin' hot.
I love this point you made that "Sex between a man and a woman generates creative energy in an endless variety of ways beginning with the creation of new life itself." And that, of course, requires intimacy.
And yet, what lies in the wake of sexual liberation is the exact opposite - sex without intimacy. And as a result of the internet, vicarious eroticism. All of which has, in my opinion, commoditized sex by stripping it of its true value - intimacy crucial for emotional well-being, and creativity for societal well-being.
The irony is: what Friedan found disgusting is more ubiquitous than ever. According to Friedan, a traditionally feminine woman was “a passive, empty mirror, a frilly useless decoration, a mindless animal, a thing to be disposed of by others, incapable of a voice in her own existence.“ Except for maybe the last descriptor, Friedan's basically describing online content creators that dance on camera in their lingerie for "donations." No creativity needed. And certainly no intimacy. Just a parasocial relationship.
Thank you for your generous comments, Alvin. You are absolutely right about the abyss that developed between intimacy and sex in the era of liberation and what was once called "free love" (and I guess is now called "Tinder dating".
I love the way you pointed out the irony of how today's social media celebrates exactly what Friedan claims (I would say falsely) what was characteristic of women back when marriage was sacrosanct and most Americans had life-long marriages.
I was so immersed (rather unhappily) in my memories of 1980 that the parallels you point out didn't even occur to me. Fascinating!
…you can feel both the closeness and the distance you have built between yourself and your self (and your story(s))…writing as dense, and reflection as tight and spanning as these stories does that…there is a world where the rashomon of it all would be equally compelling… but am thankful to read your work which is such an intensely personal window into this man…
Thank you for your comment CansaFis which feels like a passage from The Life-giving Sword🗡️ ⚔️
You're an amazing writer, Chris! I could feel the passion in your writing. It's 17 degrees Fahrenheit where *I* am on the east coast, and I'm feelin' hot.
I love this point you made that "Sex between a man and a woman generates creative energy in an endless variety of ways beginning with the creation of new life itself." And that, of course, requires intimacy.
And yet, what lies in the wake of sexual liberation is the exact opposite - sex without intimacy. And as a result of the internet, vicarious eroticism. All of which has, in my opinion, commoditized sex by stripping it of its true value - intimacy crucial for emotional well-being, and creativity for societal well-being.
The irony is: what Friedan found disgusting is more ubiquitous than ever. According to Friedan, a traditionally feminine woman was “a passive, empty mirror, a frilly useless decoration, a mindless animal, a thing to be disposed of by others, incapable of a voice in her own existence.“ Except for maybe the last descriptor, Friedan's basically describing online content creators that dance on camera in their lingerie for "donations." No creativity needed. And certainly no intimacy. Just a parasocial relationship.
But I digress. :)
Thank you for your generous comments, Alvin. You are absolutely right about the abyss that developed between intimacy and sex in the era of liberation and what was once called "free love" (and I guess is now called "Tinder dating".
I love the way you pointed out the irony of how today's social media celebrates exactly what Friedan claims (I would say falsely) what was characteristic of women back when marriage was sacrosanct and most Americans had life-long marriages.
I was so immersed (rather unhappily) in my memories of 1980 that the parallels you point out didn't even occur to me. Fascinating!