During the summer of '94, I backpacked through western Europe with 5 or 6 other individuals, most of which were Mississippi State architecture students (as I was). Being there for 7 weeks, I was fortunate to visit 11 countries with the focus being notable buildings - urban and rural, gardens, etc. I was in my early 20s at the time, and my colleagues were of similar ages. All of us behaved scholarly during the entire trip unlike some of the other college students who were there at the time (per my observations). And I'm not saying that to boast. To be honest, we were just a bunch of geeks who were best suited to keeping our attention on the "tasks at hand".
About halfway through this once-in-a-lifetime trek, we found ourselves staying within a hostel in Austria. I remember the country being Austria because Salzburg is where The Sound of Music was filmed, and I became aware of this whilst staying there (I've never screened the film). It was quite the picturesque country(side).
One of my colleagues bunked with me within a very clean but cramped room with four other young men (also American college students backpacking throughout the summer, though not a part of our group) . The tiny room was just big enough for three bunkbeds and one lavatory (a wall mounted sink). The floor plan of the room was such that it was "two bunkbeds deep" and "three bunkbeds wide" with the middlemost bunk missing if you catch my measurement drift.
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What keeps individuals out of sales is the ever present & quite trepidatious mantra - ACTIVITY, ACTIVITY, ACTIVITY. Sales managers can at times berate their minions accordingly, and for good reason. That being because there's some truth to it. Some.
Mostly though, you either have the knack for sales (and this must be coupled with excellent timing) or you don't. No matter how much ACTIVITY (sales calls) you participate in.
The summer after my freshman year in college, I worked as a new car salesman at Howard Wilson Chrysler Plymouth in Jackson. That two months was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life, and as such, I was only afforded the opportunity because my parents & I had purchased my '91 Plymouth Laser RS from this dealership a few months prior.
What I took away from that summer, working as a car salesman, was the importance a salesman must have of product knowledge - across the board.
Fortunately for me, ever since I was around age 14, I've been a car aficionado, therefore as a new car salesman at age 18, I not only knew the product I was attempting to sell but the competition's product as well. Or at least as well as a teenager could. Comprehensively.
Again, mate that knowledge with great timing, and sales do happen. Almost magically. And that's what can make sales fun and very satisfying to experience because you're not just screwing people over with smoke & mirrors.
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Solo sex (masturbation) is (by default) a hollow, relentlessly self-centered pursuit fueled 99% of the time by sexual fantasy coupled with an active libido. It's an ACTIVITY, ACTIVITY, ACTIVITY that's built primarily on one's "expertise" of the human body driving lust via imaginings. Of course, these fantasies can be carried along much more proficiently thanks to pornographic imagery. Imagery which in no way typically represents any sort of sexual reality (certainly not of a Biblical nature).
Many year ago, I was watching a Geraldo Rivera talk show episode out of sheer boredom. I believe he was interviewing class (school) mates of celebrities, and a handful of these individuals on this particular show had been childhood friends of Madonna. As such, Geraldo queried these guests relentlessly, aching for some dirt on Ms. Ciccone.
No doubt, one of these former friends had tipped off Madonna relative to their appearance on his TV show because seemingly unexpectedly (of course, it could have always been staged), Madonna herself called in to speak to Mr. Rivera.
As you might imagine, she seemd none too pleased with the premise of the show, and in reaction to this, she asked Geraldo the following: "Have you ever had sex with yourself?".
I remember hearing this and feeling polarized if not a bit nauseous. From that point on, I gained an entirely new perspective on Madonna.
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The only time I've ever witnessed live sexual activity was within the aforementioned hostel bunk room there in Salzburg, Austria. And obviously, it wasn't by choice. Yet, as you might imagine, there in the darkness whilst peering across the room (bleary-eyed), I felt polarized as I observed these two lovers perform coitus / cunninlingus like a couple of jack rabbits.
Sexual activity is defined clearly in Scripture as a metaphor. A metaphor which includes Jesus Christ (husband) and his church (wife). So, if we explore that for a moment, we clearly see that intercourse is meant to physically consummate a relationship in marriage.
So, what is marriage and why is sexual activity - today - so polarizing?
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On numerous occasions, I've heard individuals talk through the importance of "test driving" a boy / girlfriend under the guise of sexual proficiency prior to marriage.
As if human beings were like animals and intercourse was simply what you do whilst feeling an erection coming on, or better yet, qualify another human being's worth.
ACTIVITY, ACTIVITY, ACTIVITY. Sound familiar?
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Sex sells merchandise, contracts, real estate, automobiles, entertainment and on and on and on here in our western culture. A titillating advertising campaign / experience is arguably the most effective (low hanging fruit) means to pitch almost anything due to how it builds on foundational distortions. Hands down. As such, we are brainwashed into elevating sex and sexuality to the upper echelon of relevancy / importance within our menial lives (from childhood onward).
Yet, the Bible states that it's best to remain single if you're to most effectively be positioned to execute God's work, putting marriage one notch (if several notches) below bachelorhood.
So that begs the question that I believe needs to be asked once more. What exactly is marriage?
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Marriage is like clothing. Not really necessary but so effective at fleshing out a holistic understanding of ourselves as God's created beings. As such, marriage speaks to our then fully realized identity.
But remaining naked is admirable (according to Scripture). For clothing can certainly embolden us in ways that serve to take our focus from Christ and our relationship with him due to the time / energy required relative to upkeep (of each other / offspring).
And then there's the reality of sex within marriage which runs counter to everything our culture indoctrinates us with 24/7/365.
Sex isn't supposed to be polarizing. It wasn't created to be. It also wasn't created to be elevated as it has as the primary achievable / enviable attribute of every human being.
Car designs might be polarizing or architectural styles but not sex, sexuality.
Madonna Ciccone's entire career is a representation of the distortion that our sexualized culture has embraced. All the material wealth she's obtained is built on a distortion of one of the most overrated / blown out of proportion attributes of marriage.
We need knowledge to gain back the ground that's been lost in this regard. The time is now. Snap out of this ruse; wake up to reality.
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