Wednesday, July 30, 2008

A Face To Die For

 
I've always been partial to the story of Medusa, a beautiful woman who became punished for her beauty and subsequently turned men into stone, snakes for hair, a face to die for.  Even with her head lopped off, she had power to harm, to turn that which she touched into coral.  It's a tale of jealousy and sadness, not unlike another M story, that of Medea -- giver of the poison dress and tiara to her romantic rival which killed whomever wore or touched them. Of course, she also murdered her children to hurt her husband which doesn't elicit much sympathy, the first Andrea Yates or Susan Smith, a long line of women who did the unspeakable because of illness or love.

Jealousy is a hard emotion to own (as certain douchebags say in the parlance of the day).  Nobody wants to run around saying, I'm a jealous person who feels deeply pissed off that other people have it better.  But I love to hear stories about the occasional crazy-making moment, the sharing of which always makes you feel a bit better.  Many of my female friends date men who have a female "best friend."  Inevitably, this person has a name like a bell, a face like an angel, and they are as close as brother and sister with no sexual tension whatsoever.  Umm, okay.  But we have some laughs over it and toast to their long platonic friendship.  A lot of Halloweens I've chose to dress as Medusa.  I'd rather wear the snakes than the poison dress and tiara and have it rot me as I twirl around pretending all is well.

Michelle's Spell of the Day
"I choose a block of marble and chop off whatever I don't need." August Rodin

Cocktail Hour
Drinking hangover prevention suggestion: Vitamin Water by the gallon (especially Focus and Revive)

Benedictions and Maledictions
Happy Wednesday!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tell me about Rodin and mistresses.--Camille Claudel

Anonymous said...

It's not that I had a lot of lovers. It's that I never hide them.--Carla Bruni

Charles Gramlich said...

I know I'm very capable of jealousy. Not a pleasant fact about myself, but true.

the walking man said...

Seems to me that the choice of being the giver of foul things and the recipient of them...

(stone and poison/jealous of beauty and destruction of impediments= destroying what you love for what may be)

...actually lead to the same end game.

Lana Gramlich said...

I've been one of those platonic friends w/men, but I wouldn't say I have a face like an angel (which might help the whole "platonic" thing, really.)
I've been more able to identify with the ugly duckling in my past...kind of a powerless Medusa figure, in a sense. Fortunately I'm beyond all of that now & proud to identify w/any number of goddesses of vice. Particularly the rounder ones! ;) *L*

chris said...

Lets face it,a man and a woman married. Don't even want to discuss same sex.

They get married,they settle into to each others life's,they may even claim to be happy and I hope they are. But you will never turn a blind eye from a beautiful Woman or Man without wondering,what if ?????

They may be best friends,but a man is a man and the thought has poped up in his brain,he has a great friend in her and does not want to mess that up. I could not disagree with that. However If he were single and she approached him on the subject,I dare say, he would resist very little if any.

People need each other,emotionally,physically. We were not put here to be alone.

"With no sexual tension what so ever",Umm,okay.
Would they be willing to tell the truth or lie to each other and friends because they fear it would mess up their relationship?

I think a couple should be at least good friends,before a relationship can get past the Physical realm.

Michelle,this is one hell of a subject.I am honest on the subject as well as Charles and Lana seem to be. Platonic friendships,is this subject something yourself and all of your readers can discuss,honestly and openly. I have thoughts on the other woman all the time,Even though I am happy with my wife,it is what action you take on your thoughts that count.

I know it is a crazy idea,but what the heck. It could be educational and eye opening,if we are not afraid of ourselves,living on the edge, in my twisted world!

Anonymous said...

Getting jealous of your students hooking up with each other is really pathetic.