Words of Wisdom from SharLeigh

THE RITUALS OF ROMANCE

The slight backward glance of the eyes; the graceful appearance of a swan-like neck; the turn of an exposed ankle; this was the mating dance of Victorian Times. One of the most erotic gestures for a man was to slowly unbutton a lady’s glove and then gently kiss the pulse point of her wrist. The best catch was a demure woman who was to appear to hang on every man’s word and to be sparse in speech and opinions. After WWI, women began to rebel and break away from the demure mold of bondage. The smock dresses that covered a woman from shoulder to ankle were discarded and the flapper emerged! Women wore these daring dresses that rose above the knees, and nylons that ended just below, allowing the knees to be erotically exposed. The men delighted in this new woman. Now romance had changed, making the brazen woman more desirable. In the 1930s, the Depression caused the free-wheeling romantic times to come to an abrupt end. It was a sobering time for romance. By the 1950s a new man emerged. Back from the war, he wanted his woman to be glamorous and sexy, yet sweet and innocent! The techniques of the Victorian Times were brought back into play but with more sophistication. The new woman had a dual personality – a wonderful little homemaker but a tiger in the bedroom. Romance evolved almost full circle until the rebellious 1960s. It was the time of Women’s Rights and bra burning. The 1970s followed with birth control and the sexual revolution – the slogan, “You’ve come a long way Baby!” summed up the generation. With all of the upheaval, how does romance fare in the 21st Century? Few people have time to invest in a long-term romance and, in many cases, lust has taken over. There is so much confusion today. Will romance and respect ever go hand-in-hand? Is this idea a dream? Hopefully, there will be a time when people will seek wisdom in this age-old-dance of mating and begin to realize that romance without respect is a shallow and wasted effort. One can only hope that this wisdom comes in the very near future!