Originally posted by Gwalchmai:
<STRONG>I am not hardly trying to attack your person. I really do believe that you have wild, rutting bison-like sex every single day (despite the fact that I suggested that you may be a liar - that was a joke) </STRONG>
Sweet Gwalchmai, I know you were joking

I was joking too when I referred to the Ad Hominem, but for some reason it did not show well in my post. Maybe because I'm not a native English speaker, or maybe my kind of twisted and ironic humour is not always suitable for a text medium, you have to hear the intonation to understand it's a joke. This kind of thing happens to me every now and then, I make some kind of ironic joke, and the responder believes I'm offended or hurt. Actually, I was LMAO when I read your post

(As I often do)
About me being I liar, I leave you and Waverly to this classic paradox statement: "I always lie"
<STRONG>
The only other time I have ever met an athletic, intelligent, energetic, and sexually unabashed woman, she turned out to be married. </STRONG>
To you, I hope?
<STRONG>I think that C Elegans may be more the exception than the rule.

</STRONG>
Seriously speaking, I'm certainly a statistical outlier in some respects, but when it comes to views of relationships and sex, it's also very much a cultural thing. Sweden is, according to sociologic measurement, the most gender equal country in the world. Also, the general Swedish view of sex and the naked body is very liberal compared to for instance the US or the UK.
About my current relationship: Living in an extremly passionate and intense relationship is wonderful and very special, but no, I don't think it a rule, none of my previous relationships have been like this.
I've had good and bad relationships earlier, I've also been single for long periods. The only pattern I have discovered so far, is that the better I feel about myself and my life, the more I'm disposed towards romance. Also, the more men I meet who find me attractive. It's very much a question of confidence and view of oneself, I think.
<STRONG>
But risk is so hard when your most private emotions are all tied up in it. Asking a woman out on a date was so hard for me when I was younger <snip></STRONG>
Chosing to put yourself in a vulnerable position is very difficult and often involves having to cope with a lot of fears. Fear of rejection, abandonment and getting hurt are all parts of our normal and healthy self preservation. But sometimes it can result in a sort of lose/lose situation, which is very understandable, but may lead to getting stuck in a vicious circle. We can't chose if or when we are going to have passion and love, but we can chose to reject it. Either by taking caution in advance so we don't have to experince any risks, or by fleeing when we identify a risk.
But, we shall not forget that romance and traditional couple relationships are not the way to happiness. Some people chose to live as singles by rational choice because it suits them, and that does not mean they fear intimate relationships or can't get really happy. I believe the key question here is if you are chosing towards or away from something. Chosing to avoid things out of fear will create limits in your life. Chosing towards things you want to have, will not.
[ 06-30-2001: Message edited by: C Elegans ]