It's Only Sex

You know what…let me say this: There are several reasons to have sex with someone. You're in love. You're just horny. You think he's sexy in that suit. You like the electric blue, patent leather heels she wore to work. You're desperate. You're drunk. You have a "plug" and she has a "socket". It feels good and you just want to feel good right now. Your neighbor needs a ride to work and ain't NOTHIN' free in this world. Or maybe you found yourself cash-poor at a very inconvenient time, and you gotta do what you gotta do. These are all perfectly acceptable reasons to have sex with someone. But here's the thing. Be able to distinguish between each situation, or else you are going to end up hurt.


You know how in the game Tic Tac Toe, you're trying to get three X's or three O's in a row?...horizontally, vertically, or diagonally? Well that has nothing to do with this…I mean, nothing at all.

I talked to a homegirl yesterday who had recently given up the twat (I love the word "twat"…it sounds SO dirty) to a fellow she was dating. Now, her young mister has decided that he doesn't have to call her as frequently. And naturally, this has upset her. So she asked me if she should be upset about the situation, and she is feeling like maybe she shouldn't have had sex with him yet. My response to this was simple: Don't have sex of any kind with a guy who isn't YOUR man unless you're ok with the idea that he's not committed to you…which means he's not obligated to visit, call, take you out on dates etc at any particular frequency. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a bad thing. At all. It doesn't mean don't have casual sex. Casual sex is good. It just means that you have to keep your expectations in check. Her situation is/was only a problem because she expected it to become more than it is/was. Aside from that, there is nothing wrong with dude just being a friend that she sees (read: has sex with) on occasion. Everyone you have sex with doesn't have to be your future boyfriend/girlfriend or spouse. And everyone you're initially attracted to doesn't have to end up being more than easy access sex.
Brothas, we're not exempt from this issue, btw. It's not just a woman's problem. We have hang-ups with this shit too…it just plays out differently. While we don't usually find ourselves regretting having sex with a woman "too soon" (whatever that means), we DO attach expectations to women that we're sleeping with just like women attach expectations to men. But that's another blog.

Anyway, the root of this issue, IMO, is twofold. The first is what I mentioned earlier about knowing the difference between the various reasons there are for a person to have sex, and understanding which category you're falling into that night. The second is a matter of perspective. If you've been reading my blogs these past few years, you know that I think it is a HUGE mistake for a woman to view the act of sex as her "giving up" something or giving something to the guy…something that she should otherwise be trying to withhold. Why? Because that makes her expect something in return…even if that is only an expectation of his behavior. Instead a woman (men too) should look at sex as a mutual exchange. Two people (or 3 if you're lucky) having a physical exchange for that moment. And I'm referring to the most basic sense. Of course it can be more complicated. Of course it can be an emotional and spiritual exchange as well. The same rules still apply though…it's a mutual exchange. You should expect nothing more. AND IF YOU DO EXPECT MORE, then there should be NO sex UNLESS dude KNOWS you expect more, and he is all-in on that idea with you (meaning, he's down to meet those expectation).

So what's the point? The point is we let sex complicate things. If you want a commitment of some sort from someone, don't make sex the operating factor in the equation. It shouldn't be the main objective, and it should not be the indicator of whether or not someone loves you or is committed exclusively to you. Again, I'm not saying don't have sex. I'm saying that it shouldn't determine the outcome of the situation….in either direction.

Aight, I think that's all I wanted to say. What do y'all think? Am I downplaying sex? Do y'all think it's more/less important to a relationship-ish situation? Do y'all understand what I mean when I say that this isn't just a woman's problem?

Scream at me!

Date Deez

I was talking to one of my homegirls the other day, whom is also married. We hadn't spoken in a while so we caught up a bit. After I asked her about her husband and whatnot, I decided to ask about a couple of her friends. I'm familiar with some of them, as she's spoken about them throughout our tenure as pals. It went a little something like this:

Goodnight: How's Keri doing these days?
Bee: Oh, her and her guy broke up a while ago. So she's been complaining to me about having to date again (please notice the wording of that phrase, people).
Goodnight: *Cringe* Woo! Can you imagine!? Ugh!
Bee: I know, right! God. Having to get to know somebody again…and go through all of that…again.
Goodnight: And that's best case scenario! You're probably going to just run into a bunch of mu-f*ckas that burn through your patience. I hate people.
Bee: The thing that's annoying is all of that time it takes to find out if y'all are actually compatible.

There was more, but I'll stop here.

Aside from the melodrama that you get when two married-ass-ninjas air their fears of having to be NOT-married again, we began thinking about why the concept seems so haunting. If you talk to most late 20-somethings and early 30-somethings, you'll probably find that they absolutely detest the idea of having to date again. And I guess the operative word here is "again". Dating is fun…when you're 21 and everything is new. But once it has become old-hat, repetitive, emotionally draining, and painful, you kinda just want to skip the intro and get right to the song, so to speak. And that's how you probably feel if you're married, have been boo'd up for any significant amount of time, or if you've become kinda 'done' with dating in general, and thus have gone on strike.

Really, it's a testament to how much hard work goes into making a relationship work, if you think about it. But I digress.

The very thought of actually having to go through the process just makes you nauseous. For some reason, I feel like 28 to 32 year-olds dislike the idea more than oh say someone in their early 40's would. Why? Because if you have to 'get back out there' at 40 after being boo'd up or flat out on strike for the past 10 years, at least there's the possibility of some newness. At least you have had time to get bored with not-dating. And the game has probably had time to change (I guess), and that also is enough time for there to be some new folks on the market. I'm not saying a 40 year old would love the idea of having to date again, but I feel like there's room for more excitement in that case. If you're 29, you probably haven't been fed up with dating for too long (2 to 4 years, tops). Dating again would be the equivalent of getting back in the shower 3 minutes after you've gotten out and already toweled yourself down. Now you gotta get wet again. The first shower felt great, but damn, you gotta take another one?! You're ready to get in the bed, already. It ain't gonna kill you - - but WTF, you know?

Anyways, what makes the idea of dating again so scary (read: annoying)? Is it the fear of getting hurt if you open yourself up? Is it that you can't imagine having the patience to meet someone, get to know them, and find out if you're compatible? Or is it more so about having to convince someone else to accept your ass and all of you quirks (read: flaws)? Or does the concept not annoy you at all?

Holla at me!

Objectification of My Affection

(Repost)

I used to be (and still am, for the most part) very cautious of what I say to women. Actually, maybe "aware" is a better word for it than "cautious". Honestly, I think most men are. The line is very thin between showing appreciation, affection, or simple flirting vs saying or doing something that will be taken offense to. And that line seems to be drawn differently for each woman.

This dynamic between us came to mind the other day as I had a conversation with some friends. A female in the group, who we all agree is a very attractive woman (she kinda looks like Res…the singer), expressed that she feels like a lot of men just aren't drawn to her….like men don't approach her. She interprets this interaction (or lack thereof) as men not diggin' her look. Basically, she thinks a lot of guys just don't find her that attractive, physically. She goes on to say something along the lines of, "…I'm a cute girl…I know this…and I'm confident. I'm just saying that it's possible that I don't have 'that thing' (physically) that makes a guy feel like he has to speak to me…" Another girl in the group (who also is attractive) could relate to her. And after a while, they asked us (guys) what we thought they were missing, physically, that keeps men from approaching them or at least paying them compliments.

Now, I know these women. As I said, they're attractive girls, and they're personalities are not off-putting to me. They don't usually have a demeanor that says "Don't talk to me!" And we (the guys) told them that. Surely, men find them attractive. Surely, men notice them. They aren't missing anything, physically. And while there are many possible reasons as to why men aren't acknowledging their physical beauty as often as they think men should be, there's really only one reason I'm focusing on for this blog. And that reason is that a lot of men just don't think complimenting a random woman (or hell, even a woman they know) is worth the possible fallout. In other words, sometimes we're just not sure how a gal is going to take it if we say something nice about their bodies.

Imagine this scenario, ladies. You're at the grocery store in the produce section, trying to find…a ripe zucchini or something, I don't know…whatever. It's after work and you have on a pair of very nicely fitting pants and blouse. As you're going about your business, leaning over to reach a zucchini that is further away from the ledge, some guy approaches you and says something along the lines of, "Excuse me. I saw you over here and I just wanted to tell you that you have one of the loveliest bodies I've ever seen." Tell the truth, are you appreciative of his comment or are you a bit thrown…freaked out even? Chances are, you're a bit thrown. Chances are, you're thinking something like, "Jesus Christ, do men just have to try to holla ALL the time?!" Maybe the location is different. Maybe the circumstances are a bit different. And maybe dude's compliment is a bit more subtle. But my point is that the chances of a woman responding to such a compliment with true, unguarded gratitude are slim. And for a guy who isn't necessarily looking to gain any ground with said woman, there isn't much incentive to make that compliment.

Post-Women's Rights + 90's girl + girl power-era, guys seem to have a complex when it comes to objectifying vs. appreciating women. And women seem to have a complex when it comes to making sure they are appreciated and not allowing themselves to be objectified. I believe that dynamic to be the source of conflict in every guy's mind as he's trying to find "the right" words to express his appreciation of a woman's anatomy. And it's the source of conflict in every woman's mind as she's trying to decide if she should thank a man for his expression of appreciation for her body or slap his face for verbally or physically crossing the line. At some point in history, it seems to have become taboo to appreciate a woman for her physical beauty. Looking is fine, but don't say anything and DEFINITELY don't touch. That's the "rule". And that's why, ladies, most guys who think you are attractive will never do more than just look at you. That is unless they have something to gain by taking a chance and actually telling you what he thinks (i.e. he's looking for a partner…maybe for just that night or maybe for life).

To me, it's no wonder that this group of women (and many others that I know) feel somewhat undervalued, physically. It's no surprise that so many women (and men too, but that's another chapter) feel self-conscious about their bodies. That acknowledgment of physical beauty is either not given or not accepted.

Personally, I compliment my female friends when I feel it is appropriate. Sometimes it's about their personalities or something they did or said. But a lot of times it's purely physical. And to me, that's ok…it's necessary even…for them and for me. We all need to be appreciated, and we all need to be appreciated on all levels. It is not enough to only be appreciated for your mind OR your body, for example. And I need to be able to express my appreciation. I should not be expected to have to withhold that expression because someone might take offense to it. It shouldn't be a big deal for me to tell a friend that she looks great in a certain outfit, or that she has a beautiful smile, or alluring lips, or that her ass looks stunning in a certain pair of jeans. That shouldn't be unacceptable…not if it IS acceptable for me to tell her that she's smart, or that her personality is so inviting, or that her recent financial decisions have been remarkable. Right? It should be equally as insulting to ONLY be appreciated for your mind as it is to ONLY be appreciated for your looks.

When did we, as a society, become so cold…so closed off and unapproachable (or fearful of approaching people)? There's so much concern about our individual spaces being invaded, verbally or physically. You end up having to decide whether you're going to be an 'approacher' or a 'bystander', and suffering the consequences. Sometimes I smile at a random, attractive woman in the mall (because I tend to smile at cute girls…What?!…don't judge me) and she smiles back. I smile at the next woman and she shoots me a look that says "BACK OFF!" I affectionately hug or kiss a female friend and she's receptive and reciprocal…accepting of the love I'm showing her…the physical compliment that I'm paying her. I do the same thing with the next homegirl and maybe she feels awkward and invaded. What gives?

Think about it. Ladies, how do you generally feel when a man compliments you solely on how you look? Be honest. Do you wish more men would compliment you and/or approach you? And guys, do you find it difficult to compliment women, whether they be your friends or strangers? And when you do, what kind of response do you expect? Do you wish it was more acceptable to be more forward with women about their bodies? Scream at me!