Imagine being in a country where no one talks of respiratory matters. Now replace respiration by reproduction and you would be in my country. Both breath and sex are preconditions for our lives. Yet there is a world of difference when we talk about them in the quotidian life of my country. It affects the choice of words for starters. (Digestion and related matters lie in between these two extremes.)
Given that you are a citizen of such a state of affairs, you can either confirm, or rebel, or lie somewhere in between where you are most comfortable. For me that just means being uncomfortable. I don't have the audacity to rebel outright, neither the urge to confirm, but only the ideal notion that when there is a need, matters of respiration and reproduction should be talked about equally freely. And we all know about ideal notions. They are just that.
The saving grace for many in such situations is humour, often the kind that hindsight provides. For example the other day in a part of town which can't be said to be especially conservative, I happened to be at a small pharmacy when a young woman -- being only prudent -- asked for condoms in not too loud a voice. The scene also included her man and the young guy at the counter. Both were equally uncomfortable, not knowing where to look. This had been preceded by a small discussion between the woman and her man, after which she gave up and asked the young guy herself. The young guy did not react in the beginning, being unsure if he heard right. The young woman had to repeat herself a little louder. I also felt uncomfortable, owing to general proximity I suppose. The other elderly person in the shop busied himself with a shelf of medicines. Realizing that what he had heard was indeed right, the young guy fixed his line of sight at a point between the man and the woman and mumbled a hmmm for yes. Because of this briefest reply which only made it probable that the pharmacy carried what was required, the young woman changed tack and started wondering to herself, looking at her man, that if the brand X comes in packs of fives. Her man had nothing to contribute to her wonderings. He looked wretched. After some more silence, she had to gesture forcefully with several upturns of her face at the young guy for an answer. Cornered into replying, he somehow forced out an essentially inaudible jumble of sounds. Barest of whispers. The two actually vocalized syllables were accidental whimpers on top of the whispering. I am certain he spoke without even opening his mouth ! ".... y ... ten..." The pharmacy carried brand Y which comes in packs of tens.
After that the transaction was suddenly smooth requiring no further words except for the naming of the price. The elder person and I also felt the tension go following the conclusion of the transaction and we resumed normalcy. Few minutes hence, I saw the couple laughing. The man having been part of his own joke held his stomach and could not stop laughing. This brought a smile to my face, for I too had been a part of his joke.
Given that you are a citizen of such a state of affairs, you can either confirm, or rebel, or lie somewhere in between where you are most comfortable. For me that just means being uncomfortable. I don't have the audacity to rebel outright, neither the urge to confirm, but only the ideal notion that when there is a need, matters of respiration and reproduction should be talked about equally freely. And we all know about ideal notions. They are just that.
The saving grace for many in such situations is humour, often the kind that hindsight provides. For example the other day in a part of town which can't be said to be especially conservative, I happened to be at a small pharmacy when a young woman -- being only prudent -- asked for condoms in not too loud a voice. The scene also included her man and the young guy at the counter. Both were equally uncomfortable, not knowing where to look. This had been preceded by a small discussion between the woman and her man, after which she gave up and asked the young guy herself. The young guy did not react in the beginning, being unsure if he heard right. The young woman had to repeat herself a little louder. I also felt uncomfortable, owing to general proximity I suppose. The other elderly person in the shop busied himself with a shelf of medicines. Realizing that what he had heard was indeed right, the young guy fixed his line of sight at a point between the man and the woman and mumbled a hmmm for yes. Because of this briefest reply which only made it probable that the pharmacy carried what was required, the young woman changed tack and started wondering to herself, looking at her man, that if the brand X comes in packs of fives. Her man had nothing to contribute to her wonderings. He looked wretched. After some more silence, she had to gesture forcefully with several upturns of her face at the young guy for an answer. Cornered into replying, he somehow forced out an essentially inaudible jumble of sounds. Barest of whispers. The two actually vocalized syllables were accidental whimpers on top of the whispering. I am certain he spoke without even opening his mouth ! ".... y ... ten..." The pharmacy carried brand Y which comes in packs of tens.
After that the transaction was suddenly smooth requiring no further words except for the naming of the price. The elder person and I also felt the tension go following the conclusion of the transaction and we resumed normalcy. Few minutes hence, I saw the couple laughing. The man having been part of his own joke held his stomach and could not stop laughing. This brought a smile to my face, for I too had been a part of his joke.
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