Two things came to mind late last night while trying to fall asleep with little success. Maybe it was the Guaifenesin…
It struck me that men (most of them being inherently dog-ish) categorize women into 4 clear categories. Mothers, Lovers, Sisters and Objects. Will have to work on that phraseology… With Mothers and Lovers it’s easy. The problem is exactly where and how fast they categorize the rest of the women they encounter. If they’re married they should immediately move women they encounter into the Sister category, but they don’t. Unless they’re not attracted – then the choice is easy. But even then they leave them as orphans within the Object category – like discarded waste not quite worthy of objectification. They should instead move them into Sisterhood. Considering society rises and falls with the morality, safety and the aptitude of the women within it, the concept of stewardship and caring for all women like your Sister comes heavily into play. Or perhaps that’s just my challenge, as a Muslim man.
And the other thing that hit me was, while watching Garden State and the father/son relationship in it, that there’s no need for me to pander to society’s concept of how I should or shouldn’t communicate with my father. I am my father’s son, and rather than find some situation with verbalized communication that would be most unpleasant for both of us, it would be wiser for me to pay him tribute in the manner that would bring him the most pride. Be who he would be proud of. Say what brings him pride. Do what he can be proud to see and show. Do all these things and let him know that I got his message, and that I am his creation. That will bring him a pleasure and happiness that nothing else could. And that’s what’s important, not my selfish need to have some verbalized, written down dialogue that squeezes him into saying what’s in his heart like some contrived screenplay. Save that part for the movies.
