Just as I can only assume there are men who find the vagina beautiful, weird, silly, complex, simple...so I find the penis.
Most certainly when I am in a relationship I view the penis as a humble part of the body. I can only hope that whoever I end up with next have an openness to talking about what our bodies mean to each other.
(Geoduck Clam and the mascot of my alma mater The Evergreen State College)
I found a book on amazon.com called The Penis Dialogues: Handle with Care. I read the reviews for it and one reviewer said that it was just a bunch of men being more open about sexist conversations they usually have with their buddies. That saddens me. I haven't read the book, but is that really the only way men can talk about their penises? I would love to read a book that shares sotries that are as open as The Vagina Monologues are. But I know that men aren't raised to speak out in that way.
As a woman I recognize that I am still on a journey to understanding, accepting, and loving my own vagina. I certainly have a love/hate relationship with it. I think it is important for young girls to understand that having a healthy sexual relationship with themselves is not only celebratory, not only empowering, but vital. In this world a woman's sexuality is often seen as not her own but in relation to another human being. A man's is usually connected overcoming another human being in some form.
I am not suggesting that a man or woman should romanticize their genitalia to be some mystic entity that should be worshiped. But I do think that there is nothing wrong with celebrating one's self. I do think that body parts can serve more than basic functioning. My hands and arms are used for reaching, grasping, pushing, pulling, itching, touching. But why not celebrate features of my specific hands and arms? Use them to dance, use them for art? Understand that no one has my arms and hands?
Additionally I think it is important that penises and vaginas, breasts and anuses can all be a part of my every day life even without any sexual energy present. There are moments when I can be playful and silly with ap artner and understand that there is beauty and meaning in our bodies whether we are in the throws of passion or whether we decide to respectfully find playfulness in shapes and functions of our parts.
I can only hope for the future of men that they can learn to see that their penises do not make them stronger. That they can celebrate themselves but also feel humbled by their own bodies. Hell, I don't think that my vagina makes me a bad ass chick. But many men seem to think that their penis is an all mighty sword. That it makes them macho/more than who they are.
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