Things I like about me like umm me!
We were laying in bed this afternoon, hiding from the oppressive late day heat which our poor little air conditioner doesn't quite have the strength to combat when the conversation turned to things we liked about ourselves. I asked him first and he played along gamely ticking of this, elaborating on that, all in all giving me a deeper understanding of his vision of himself something that always makes me both giddy and grateful. Then it was my turn.
I tried not to think hard on my things and say freely what immediately came to mind however silly it might be. This tactic made for an interesting list that ranged from an appreciation of my ability to make other people smile to an enjoyment of the vaguely elvin shape of my ears, lol. Even though I had a rather exhaustive list it can be (and was) summarized as "I like that I fit me" It is funny how feeling right in yourself makes even the oddest things worthy of self admiration.
We got to talking about notions of self and "I" and how they differ by culture. One thing that was covered was something I've heard a lot in my time since I started learning about slavery publicly was the worry I've heard expressed by slaves that they will lose themselves by submitting completely. Even though I use the word I (quite a bit) it doesn't really hold the same meaning for me as it does for a lot of people reared in the society. The upbringing I had combined with my personal idiosyncrasies has always led me to be less individualistic than is considered the norm for current US society.
It feels odd to me when people ask me who I am and they seem discomfited when I say that I'm his slave (or girlfriend depending on who is asking) That is who I am, it doesn't however tell you everything about me but that is a different question altogether and not one simply answered over cocktails.
I tried not to think hard on my things and say freely what immediately came to mind however silly it might be. This tactic made for an interesting list that ranged from an appreciation of my ability to make other people smile to an enjoyment of the vaguely elvin shape of my ears, lol. Even though I had a rather exhaustive list it can be (and was) summarized as "I like that I fit me" It is funny how feeling right in yourself makes even the oddest things worthy of self admiration.
We got to talking about notions of self and "I" and how they differ by culture. One thing that was covered was something I've heard a lot in my time since I started learning about slavery publicly was the worry I've heard expressed by slaves that they will lose themselves by submitting completely. Even though I use the word I (quite a bit) it doesn't really hold the same meaning for me as it does for a lot of people reared in the society. The upbringing I had combined with my personal idiosyncrasies has always led me to be less individualistic than is considered the norm for current US society.
It feels odd to me when people ask me who I am and they seem discomfited when I say that I'm his slave (or girlfriend depending on who is asking) That is who I am, it doesn't however tell you everything about me but that is a different question altogether and not one simply answered over cocktails.
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