Where is the fingerprint of …
It is interesting to note, that each (a single) ejaculation condemns 300-500 million sperm to death (give or take a few million). Add to this the ‘Ever Ready’ nature of men, and over a lifetime, the numbers of redundancies are staggering. Not many have 5 children these days. Perhaps that would be all we ever need, yet we sacrifice 6 billion in a week, 312 billion in a year, 14.352 trillion, perhaps more in a lifetime. Multiply that (the potential) by 3 billion men, it is a fair bit of redundancy. Of course different practices yield different results and not all men will ejaculate every time on purpose, after all, it is a ‘little death’. Even if one takes just 10% of the 14.000 trillion sperm, or multiplies that number by another million, and either way one would still be correct, for some.
There is of course a huge variation and many factors have an influence on the number of sperm, perhaps the less said, the better.
What about romance? The hay fever caused by the sexual excitation of our plants, where tons of pollen floats on the wind, the magic of life in fullest abundance, the release on one night in the year of corals giving births saturates the water with magic.
Woman is given say 500 ova, of which approx. 380 fully develop. No woman can bear that many children, not if it costs 9 months plus a lifetime investment.
Apparently 69 children, born by a Russian woman over a 40 year period sets the record, not that there is any sort of contest (she had 16 sets of twins, 7 sets of triplets, 4 sets of quads (between 1725 and 1765)), 67 of the children survived infancy. When one is finished saying ‘Good Morning’ to each, it’s nearly time to go to be. There are several families, each having 17 children from the one mother recorded in recent times.
So it seems the sexdrive (I love how my dictionary is trying to turn this word into ‘seedtime’) is in some sort of overdrive, but perhaps that’s only how it seems. Fact is the sperm-count (concentration) is steadily going down; the quality, in particular of the male sex sperm is degrading, the number of genes in the male ‘Y’ sperm has reduced to 78. In addition, the Y contains repeatedly the code ‘I am male, I am male,’ to be sure it survives the next attacks and still be true and successful in its mission. Specifically in European men the quality of their sperm is viewed with concern, as population numbers there are in decline as well. I guess more ‘important’ gadgets have priority over the attention seeking calls of toddlers, and sperm count has little to do with it. Add to this the number of Y sperm that are zapped by female fluids whilst they thought they were on their merry way, and perhaps each one is needed to even the chances. Perhaps as a species we are never going to make it that long, given the dramatic changes all of us have come to witness in our lifetime. In addition, we have to deal with the projected acceleration of men’s influence on the planet; each day is, as it has always been, so very special.
The SRY gene (Sex-determining Region Y) is the one on the Y chromosome that decides which sex the new life becomes (it develops the testis (generally), yes and no are also correct). There are variations to this (disease and mutations), but if the female has the SRY, it is not going to make a male.
Wonders never cease.
A look at our human family:
XX = girl (generally, the neat box we are all supposed to fit in)
XY = boy (generally, as above, just the other gender)
XX = boy or girl, active gene Sox9 will turn XX into a boy
XY = boy or girl, active gene Sox9 will turn XY into a girl
XXY = male but infertile
XXXY = male but infertile
XXXXY = male
XXXXX = female (mental, growth and motor retardation)
XYY = boy
XYYY = boy
XYYYY = boy
XXYY = boy
XXX = girl
X = girl
Then there is the variation in chromosomes (other than the typical 46), such as trisomy 21 (Down syndrome, has extra copy of chromosome 21, when trying to combine with either, egg or sperm. Two additional chromosomes 21 are added, hence ‘tri’. Additional variations in this, if not all of the genes of C21 are duplicated). In a similar way, if it affects the 18th chromosome, it is trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome), trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome), trisomy 12, 9, 8, and all the way back to +2.
If we take a look at twins (identical, semi-identical, non-identical) or larger numbers of multiples (3, 4, 5, 6 etc), it really gets interesting.
With the twins, one could have a male (fully functioning and male in appearance), containing within female reproductive organs from his absorbed twin sister. He’s born alone, his twin within. Look carefully in the mirror; do you have two different coloured eyes? If so, one could be the eye of your own twin. It is so nice to finally meet you. How many of us are twins and have no idea? It does happen more than many would believe. Not even our mothers would know, as early pregnancy tests and ultrasounds are recent innovations. Depending on your sensitivities and being in tune with one’s self, perhaps you feel and know (although too often unproven), that inside is something that one can’t exactly put the finger on. Perhaps one gets a feeling of ‘twin-ness’, for lack of a better word, of being the single twin. There is always something, someone missing that one never knew one had, especially if one’s own parents had and have no awareness of it. Whatever applies to the twins, will also apply in many more combinations to larger multiples.
After that, we have the chimera (what a horrible description) made inside the uterus (rare), and micro-chimeras via IVF. If one ever gets a DNA test done and it does not match (even as mother, and you would pretty well remember carrying and birthing them), the kid/s would still be yours if it is/are chimera. With reference to blood grouping alone, there are artificial chimerism, dispermic chimerism (rare in humans), and twin chimerism (an exception in humans). An individual identical twin with a composition of different blood groups in one person and another mix in the other twin are possible.
Conjoined twins (or more) create other unique humans, with the various possibilities as the twins, plus the type of joint, shared or individual organs and a whole list of combinations. Some conjoined twins could internally be the mirror image of the other, the heart on the right side, liver, spleen, stomach and intestines matched accordingly on the other side. This affects about 50% of all Siamese twins joined at the chest, the left twin has the heart left, the other is as a mirror. The heart on the right side is not limited to Siamese twins and could happen anytime. The little organiser cell may have been too busy, and when the heart cell asked where to build itself it was told to go there instead of here. The life is under threat if only the heart is on the right side and everything else not mirrored as well. Occasionally cells don’t separate properly and can result in one twin carrying part of the other, incorporating it into one body, 4 legs, several sexual organs, two heads and many other variations. It is very amazing to see the build-in drive for life creates a unique being, as each of us is unique. Yet all too often that uniqueness is unacceptable (and brave be the one who points the finger). How many twins (partly grown on the other) murdered, not because the carrying twin’s life is under threat, but to make that twin conform to ‘our’ acceptable standards of humanness? Such operations are not called murder, an extra arm or leg is not really human, he/she/it is not going to have any problems in the future, it’s for the best (so they say). The operating doctor has a crystal ball and can see the happy surviving twin far in the future, skipping ropes, hailing the doctors name in praise forever. Often conjoined twins go through horrendous procedures of separation, sometimes the medical world too well aware that one or both could loose their lives, at an age where none of the twin can even speak their own mind.
Using fertility drugs and hormone treatment can lead to all sorts of surprises. Despite having the X and Y chromosomes, there are these variations, in rare cases, but still in sizable numbers:
Hermaphrodites = male and female (have ovaries, menstruation and testis; produces egg and sperm, but is physically unable to mate with itself, often the female opening is between the stem of penis and upper part of scrotum, variations);
Female pseudo hermaphrodite (ferms) = having ovarian tissues, not necessarily looking female;
Male pseudo hermaphrodite (merms) = having testicular tissues, not necessarily looking male;
Pseudo hermaphroditism = (XY or XX) primarily of one sex plus having secondary sex characteristics (perhaps a clitoris (or very small, male looking appendage) and no female opening at all, variations).
Many of the above are infertile, suffer from deformities, mental retardation, low IQ, and various other health problems and most likely a shorter life expectancy. Many, if not most, also suffer from identity issues, where does one belong, if there are only two boxes to fit in and none feels right? The doctors can help to make one look like one or the other, but that is just on the outer, the cosmetic effect, to make one more like everyone else. We all know for a fact that no two fingerprints are alike, that no two people are alike; we pride ourselves in being an individual. We drive cars, produced by the millions and some spent lots of extra money to make such a car unique, to make it stand out, to be different. Many make such statements in the clothing they wear, the hairstyle, the behaviour, but having a pimple on the nose is all it takes to hide inside, because one is not like everyone else.
In addition, we have the various forms of sexual differences in our humanity: Heterosexual, Homosexual, Bi-sexual, Transvestite, Hijra (no he, no she, neither male or female, it means ‘hermaphrodite’ in the Urdu language, many do not mix with male or females), Eunuch (male with male sex organs removed), the combination of Eunuch and Hijra, Inter-sexual (as young person is one, changes to the other gender during puberty (either way), the name is being phased out), Trans-sexual (male to female via double operation (removal of male bits/creation of female bits, no uterus) and hormone treatment), Trannies (Tranies) – Shemales (males with hormone treatment with male genitals and some female characteristics (breasts, hair, behaviour)). In one of the above one finds the female with enlarged clitoris, as big as the erect penis, able to penetrate another female (no sperm though).
So called paraphelia (from Greek, para=besides, phelia=love), which Albert Eulenburg (German neurologist, who published several works on sexology and an Encyclopaedia on Health) already in 1914 described in his time as “All forms of sexual perversions…”, and went on to continue to describe each in detail. There are at least nearly 90 practices grouped under the heading of ‘paraphelia’.
One could go on and on, the cross dressers, the swingers, sex addicts, narcissim, phone sexer, masturbators, the gay, lesbian or straight looners (a sexual interest in balloons) and so forth. Some enterprising business could link their product to some sort of sexuality, create on-line forums and meeting places and, not to forget business, a link of where to get the partner (the orgasmic car, the ejaculating fountain, the every ready fence post), be creative.
There is also another form of sex, the ‘not now sex’, and ‘sometime-in-the-future-sex’, what I mean is abstinence, waiting for marriage, waiting for the right partner or celibacy by choice.
Sex, sex, sex, some may never give it a second thought, but many of each ‘prime’ gender (and if this word ever takes off, I hereby claim my copyright and expect 1cent for each use of it) are bombarded by the thought every so often. It seems sex is the prime instinct, the reason of being alive, be that of animal, plant or humankind, to get to the stage to procreate is the purpose of all life and living. It is a very bold statement (I also accept that there are countless other opinions, based on various believe systems, none of which are covered in this article.). The creation of offspring goes hand in hand with the instinct for survival, food and self-defence.
In the early stages of development of the sexual organs, one would not know what is becoming. The eye can see it either way. Black and white, the end blocks we seem to be aware of, yet in between is a whole range of different shaded grey. Not only that, there is also a whole range of colour, not as 8bit, 24bit, 128bit, not even millions or billions of colours. There are no graduations at all, but a smooth, non-stepped line. There are not enough tins on earth for a store to stock paint in all colour shades. There is an infinite number of white, an infinite number of yellows and so on. Ah yes, is black a colour, is white a colour is a subject all its own, for the purpose here they are opposites and they are colours.
As hot has cold as opposite, no white without black. What is the opposite of sex? While sex has many meanings, one of the most powerful ones is the purpose of procreation, the making of life. Is the opposite of that the taking of life? The Cain and Able curse, or the not making of life, perhaps it is the making of death. No victims come forward to say ‘kill me’, as they too contain the same life driving forces as any other living being. However, without a doubt, the defensive instinct has many men capable of killing, to protect their young, family and country. For some reason, the trees give the flesh of their fruits, without being killed. Even if the seeds are swallowed, they carry on the quest for life. Given the smallest chance, they shall try to make it, and need that mechanism as a means to get away from the tree.
As a child, the first time I heard the description ‘White men, White race’, I thought it was a special tribe living in Siberia, blending into the landscape, indistinguishable from the snow. I still have not seen a White man, just lots of Peach faces in various shadings. But with so many things, neat handles on any subject simplifies human interaction that much more.
Each is unique; we just need to accept that we really are unique. Are you expecting a boy or a girl or a ____ or a ____? Neither, it’s going to be a…, are you ready for it…? It will be wearing green; don’t you know what that means? In the incomprehensible magic of life, it is going to become a living being, trying to live the best it can, so that it reaches its destination in death. And if it misses that target, there will surely be someone ensuring it is not going to happen.
Many an animal lover projects the human measure stick onto an animal and thus does not understand the underlying rules (the pack instinct, herd instinct, pecking order, rules of feeding order, alpha domination etc) and therefore has trouble training any dog.
Perhaps we too use the measure stick of acquired morality and humaneness, which is seen as an ideal (and only in select societies), but in the cruelty of life or death of little consequence.
The war between the chromosomes X and Y has been raging perhaps since humankind began, unconscious to our awareness. Man loves woman and vice versa (with exceptions), yet the X chromosome has been chewing up the Y for thousands, if not millions of years, perhaps starting in pre human times (oh dear, another can of worms: creationism / evolution, let’s just say, ‘a long time ago’). We do not mourn (not that I am aware of) the deaths of billions of sperm. Does a woman mourn the loss of her unfertilised egg each month, most likely not (but this is my assumption, how would I know). Each girl carries a basket of eggs for life; each boy comes with a factory that produces regardless, well into old age. We get adrenalin on demand, tears on demand, saliva on demand, but one never knows when some sperm could be useful, so might as well make sure it’s always there. It also explains men’s hand movements that he is not even aware of anymore, the slight itch that makes one scratch, translated it means ‘slow down guys, I know you want to get out’, usually the left hand for right-handers sends the message.
When it really comes to survival the X has a job to do, firstly protect the mother at any cost, and ‘any’ means just that, kill your own if it saves the mother. If there are survival choices to be made in twins, or other multiples, the X will kill the male, and after that any Y children in order to protect the mother. The Y is no different, already under attack as soon as it is released, its only chance of survival is to race as fast as possible, not to be the first, just to get out of the acid around it (stay in the middle guys). The clever X or Y, once it gets to the egg, is taking a well deserved rest, lets all the other sperm do the hard work. Once the jelly coat is thinning near the membrane our hero or heroine jumps in and fuses with the egg, becoming one. 400 other hardworking sperm, all likely sibling contenders’ stand flabbergasted, ‘what the…’ as millions more arrive and realise there won’t be a next time. And as opportunistic as the winning sperm, so we all, at least once in our life (let’s say just before our life began), were the special ones, out of 500 million others, the clever, the strong, just to fuse with the egg. Did this create the ego? Yet if Y’s survival is at stake, it will attack its own mother. But every mother is XX, a twin sister would be XX, and the body that Y is in, or in the process of creating is XY. Y is always outnumbered. The male is clearly the weaker sex, most women know that, but graciously let their male live with some illusions.
We all (male and female and all the human gender we are) celebrate a new life, but when it comes down to the cruellest, most basic level of survival, we are possibly capable to kill such life for food or less. Not possibly, we are capable to do just that, as we (humanity) have proven plenty of times in history and are still doing just that.
The child of anyone is also our child, each man and woman is a grown up child and also our sister/brother/itling but only, if we are subjected to the ‘I love you spiritual influence’ endorphins. But once the baby has grown a little older, out of the big eyed ‘I’m so cute, please love me stage’ I could imagine it be very uplifting to at least once shout out of the window, ’can’t you tell your kids to shut up?’ I would love to do it to the Magpies, they can be a pain, but mother magpie can’t, her big kids are on a good thing and I do feel sorry for mum, besides, my ‘Magpian’ lingo skill are limited.
The showing of a life-giving breast is covered/censored in the media of some countries, seen as some sexual ‘no no’, while showing the blowing of brains out does no longer raise an eyebrow. Hide in the corner somewhere, if you are a mum with an infant; please don’t give it life in our shopping centre, we must ask you to leave. I don’t know how many deaths (real or acted, in movies, the News, as murders or wars) we get to see each week/month via movies or TV. There is not a law on earth against it, there is money to be made and yet discriminating the feeding from the breast is OK.
So it is all geared for one thing, survival, whilst too often we don’t even know why we live, our minute genes try their very best to give us the edge over anything we may come across. A great number of genes have not modified for millions of years, and can also be found in mice, unchanged for hundreds of millions of years. Perhaps the genes, the amino acids, DNA segments have no awareness of life, perhaps all they know is ‘be’, and in being, in joining together in wondrous and unique ways they form the building blocks of a becoming organism, then able to do the same thing, ‘be.’ I can’t sense my heartbeat, a lump of twitching heart cells; the heart so huge, pumping in two closed circuits blood, all within me. How could I possible sense the message within cell number 75billion, which is about to be replaced in 3 seconds?
Over 480 matched DNA segments have been uncovered, the shortest 200, the longest consisting of 800 base pairs (a lot of continual encoded information) to have remained unchanged for over 400 million years (before our time). Research scientists from University in Brisbane, Australia, in collaboration with Professor Haussler, UC Santa Cruz, and computational biologist Dr. Bejerano, who carried out most of the work, are unable to explain. While everything changes, a lot stays the same, in particular if it’s proven to work. A bit like the wheel, how much rounder could it possible get?
But an update on that, the longest are now not 800, but 280000 base pairs (a muscle protein, 33000 amino acids long). Whenever you get to read this, that number will be out of date. Sorry, correction, the longest is now 2.400.000 base pairs (dystrophin, a muscle protein on Chromosome 4). The 24m model made by the students of Huddersfield Uni does not count. Nobel Price winner Hamilton Smith led a research team whose synthetically created DNA has reached 582,970 base pairs (Jan 2008). They even added their own ‘watermark’ (the new creationism?).
Two worms with 20000 genes each don’t make a human, (some may disagree, believing there are exception), but 25000 to 40000 genes makes us human. Some say up to 50, 60 and 120000. What makes us special are the number of proteins encoded per gene, more than in any other species. We may share a large number of genes with any other animal and plants, but the protein on the gene may be very different. The building blocks of the protein are arranged in much wider possibilities in human than on a worm. As example, we share 90% of these protein building blocks with a worm.
So this we are, human, all the above, but only in the substances of our physical being. Animal research suggests that the length of some coding may well govern behaviour. Further influences are the health of both parents, healthy food supply for the mother during pregnancy, removal of influences of poisons (alcohol, smoking, drugs, fumes), parental cargo, cultural freight, societies, racial, religious influences, each teacher leaves some sort of mark, personal experiences and millions of other variables that day by day will make each more different, more unique.
The sexdrive does not stop when all the kids are born. More often than not, a healthy sexdrive is used for the purpose of recreation, of having a great time, of relating to one’s partner on an intimate level; experience a bonding of love and closeness, or live out one’s sexual fantasy, not to make babies.
Google reveals 4.9 million hits for ‘online sex’; 7 million hits for ‘sexual intercourse’; ‘f_ck’ has 150 million hits; 176 million hits on ‘p_rn’; 577 million hits on ‘sex’. The word ‘Hits’ is incorrect, they are just the targets, hits are the visitors who get to these sites and whatever multipliers you care to use are the number of assumed visitors. In contrast, there have been 37 Million Abortions so far in 2008. Some days later I got 212 million for f_ck, 242 million for p_rn, inflation is rampant. Much of that is created by the money makers. If there is a demand, some will try to fill it.
Bear also in mind that this is one of our most basic instincts. But here as well, I don’t think all is as it seems, as women and men will use very different approaches. The number of singles (even down to the age of 18 in either of the two ‘prime’ genders) who are looking for relationships (that may result in love, sex, hopefully both) is very high. Many look for just sex and perhaps find each other much quicker, after all, no commitment, no consequences etc. I think more people want that something special, something deeper and have difficulties finding it. But who knows, around the next corner there he/she/it is and bingo. Go forth; hit him/her/it in the face, ‘What took you so long?’
So what is sex? Is sex the close exchange of intimacy between two people who wish to become one in their child and build a family? Is sex the raw animalistic urge to mate anything that comes across one’s way? Is sex the unrestrained, no consequence exchange of primeval lust for selfish gratification and nothing else? Is sex the never penetrating / or being penetrated exchange of sexual thoughts and reactions, including orgasms / ejaculations, even if it occurs seemingly one sided, with a fence as partner, a car, anything but another human? There are possible a lot of moralistic views of what it supposed to be, but what it actually is may well be as diverse as humanity itself.
The conflicting messages in societies help little to alleviate the stress that is placed on both genders, and here I caught myself in my own small view of what humans are, ‘all’ genders would have been correct. Could it be, that Joan’s husband does not have erectile dysfunction at all, he loves her, he does not cheat on her, he is just not attracted any more. As soon as her sister walks across his path he is fully alive. Nelly is not frigid, she never was. Is it any wonder that the drunken breaths turns her in disgust, while she may fantasise about the young lolly next door, but could never do anything about it. The largest sex organ is the brain. Much goes on in there that goes unnoticed. Everything of what one absorbs from a partner is stored in there, evaluated, analysed. Did he wake up grumpy, did she make the coffee, did he bring the garbage out, she thought he was wrong, a million little things can affect the sex life, and most of those have nothing to do with sex. Often a simple understanding between the needs of another could solve more sex problems, than becoming an acrobatic performer, a 78 position chaser, a ‘let’s try this’ and see if it works. A single shot to the ego and many men fall apart, just as telling a woman how hot another one looks is not going to earn any bonus points. The turn-on buttons are not on the body, there are no buttons.
For many there is a ‘yes’ for the excitement, the passion, even the low down lusty urge, and all is fine, not to forget the ever so powerful influence of Venus, the goddess herself. There also comes a point when one becomes disgusted, in particular if a victim pays for it all. Perhaps cultural and societies standards play a great part in forming what constitutes healthy and unhealthy sex (apart from STD issues).
The early explorers would have seen many interesting and different attitudes towards sex on their travels around the world, in times long before the re-education campaign by religious missionaries. Sex in public used to be normal in some cultures, older women giving advice to young girls whilst having public sex. The girl may be as young as 12, copulating with an adult right in front of Captain Cook, never in England of course. Arranged marriages had young children marry their husbands. Many of today’s standards did not apply then.
Can one have love without sex? I would say yes, after all, they are two different things. If a health condition or accident takes that part away from a partner, love can and will find other ways. Love needed more now than ever, yet some, because of it, could leave. Many believe having both, love & sex together in the same person is the ideal and I would tend to agree with that, but accept that others may not feel that way. My question would be, is there a victim?
I have come to understand that there are 31 billion searches on Google every month (for anything); in 2006 it was 2.7 billion/month.
War gets 760.000.000, the victims of war are maimed or dead;
Kill gets 234.000.000, the same applies here;
Peace gets 408.000.000;
Love gets 2.240.000.000, isn’t that nice?
All this only covers the humans and there are many more prodigies, who are instantly recognisable as humans as well as children born who look unusual, caused by chemical or radioactive mishaps (and there are possibly more). The power of life in trying and succeeding to create a living being, that may be very different yet still considered human. Likewise in the food intake, starvation, malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, missing of most of what we consider essential, yet still the powers of life sustain the body as best they can.
What of the part humans? The combining of human material with animal eggs (not a hybrid, call it a ‘cybrid’, and UK legislation is in place, to give the go ahead for such thingamajigs for research purposes). The purpose is for stem cell harvesting. (Issue 2605, Page 7, New Scientist, Health) It also allows the addition of non human genes or cells to human embryos (again for research).
A year later, Apr 2008, Science Correspondent Ronald Bailey gets a little carried away by the thought in his article, titled ‘Humanizing Animals.’ See: http://www.reason.com/news/show/125776.html As far back as 2002, Ronald Bailey covered the 33rd World Vegetarian Congress, dealing with issues relating to animal genes in plant foods.
(The following are my thoughts, not Ronald’s) It’s very easy to imagine a humanised cow. An extra pair of arms grow somewhere near the udder. Instead of bellowing in pain and waking up the neighbourhood, such cow would walk up to the bucket, clean it, milk itself, strain the hair out of it, knock on the front door and go ‘moo.’ Why not do butter, cream, yoghurt, cheese, ‘hey come back here, you’re not done yet.’
The world of ‘Manimals’ is upon us. Would you believe that millions of (amongst other things) human genes are owned by large companies. Up to one fifth of every person’s DNA belongs to some company. Whose DNA was it? Expect to pay a license fee AND royalties to take a look. Many of the issues relating to Patents on life are currently before the US congress. How come we are allowed to live without paying them a royalty?
Who is making life? Is it the modern Alchemist, with a big pot of genes, some bark from a distant tree and 20 million secret herbs and spices, start at midnight and stir slowly? When the first morning bird sings, run, before it explodes. What will it become? We don’t know yet, but it will become something, it will ‘be’. In the silent morning anticipation the voice of the pot can be heard from ten miles around, ‘Jump in master, you will make us complete.’ Whatever crawls out of the pot is looking for the fingerprint of God, just a wee bit of DNA. What are the risks? What’s the opposite of God?
No, no, I don’t wish to upset any believers, but isn’t the thought already in us, at least in some? Will we eventually go down the same road with our genes as the plant seeds? Buy a packet and the fruit you grow is infertile, because we need to protect our investments (the genes THEY own). Will the couple of the future have to buy the sperm to make a baby? Who will own all the genes eventually?
We are what we eat, so the saying goes, yet what is it that we eat? 80% of US cheese is no longer what it was, and that started 12 years ago. It would be so easy to go off on another tangent, processed foods and their effects, but no.
How did it all start, sex, ah, Sex, the joyful means to procreate, but that was last week, this week it is used for physical exercise, stress relief, even entertainment. Next week there will be a museum somewhere, ‘have a look at this, can you believe it, what were they doing?’
So what is it all about, what am I trying to say? We, humanity have sent messages into space, trying to communicate with the unknown, the alien. For a start, we have severe communication problems with each other, even if we were to speak in one language. The difference between what is said, what one thought one said, what one heard, what one thought one understood, and what one understood are not necessarily the same. Which of our animals can we understand, at least in part? Could we accept 10 different genders in the aliens, or get our doctors to snip and tuck, so they are easier to handle? When will we accept ourselves? When will we accept the other? Many countries have laws in place not to differentiate between colour of the skin, sex, age, and so forth, yet clearly each who is different beyond that will have to fight their own battles. But for this, they will never have the numbers, they can not win. They are not organised and live isolated across the globe, many believing there is no other like me. Discrimination can make one’s life a misery. Being different, the uniqueness so many treasure, ironically is also what makes some an easy target. It appears to be different is OK, as long as one can still fit in one of two boxes.
A cell has not separated from another somewhere in the process of growing a life and there, one has become different on the outer for all to see. All too often one is different on the inside, locked within one’s own cage none can see. With all the talk of sex and sexual preferences, leanings, one gift that life has brought us can overcome all differences. There is no need to spice it up, to make it fashionable or sexy. No tantalising tease of orgasmic floods as promise, no alluring eyes as invitation, one gift we have, no matter how we came to be, the gift of love. And those who know nod in silent knowing perhaps grace with a grin. And lots been said of what love is, what it can do, what it is not. What’s in it for me, we all too often ask of anything. What’s in it for us, be more appropriate, as it contains them and those and I as well. It’s easy to proclaim one’s love to the attractive, the sensual, the wealthy, the brave, ‘the one I want’. Be different, be daring, be unique and love the one you’d love to hate, the one that’s odd, the one none else would want to love, the one you did not speak to for a year. Perhaps you have an enemy, in that an opportunity to gain a friend. There is no need to barter all your heart; love has its own factory.
© Heinz Ross, Gold Coast, Australia
27 Nov 2008
