Thursday 30 April 2009

Thoughts on the Sexual Revolution

Not mine. Somebody else's.

John C. Wright put up a brilliant little piece the other day which is both insightful and apt, and in which we learn, among other things, that there is a correlation between theft and ice cream sales.

I do actually like rock and roll music, so reacted somewhat to his comments on that subject, but he's right about the dancing at least. I remember having seen a waltz done well once. Very few can do it well these days- most just manage to make some semblance of it at weddings and such- and it is difficult to find a woman and a man who can both dance it well who find themselves at the same function together, much less a woman and a man who can dance it well and are also in love. It was some time ago that I did manage to see a couple who could both waltz superbly and were also in love. I recall being struck by the beauty of it; the simultaneous simplicity and complexity of co-ordinated movement, the juxtaposition of two utterly unlike figures tracing a seemingly effortless tandemness across the floor, and the look in their eyes as they looked into each other's faces, their feet in perfect sync all the while. Wright is right. The kind of dance you can find in any nightclub in Sydney on a Saturday night may be fun, but it doesn't compare.

On a similarly personal note, I was particularly struck by these lines:

Let none think I am complaining of the depravity of my surrounding culture because I behold a paragon of virtue in the looking glass. I am complaining because I myself am a vomiting drunkard of the wine of vice, and friendly people keep offering me free drinks while I am trying to quit, and they keep telling me that I am sober enough to drive and pushing the car keys into my hand.

I hear you, brother.

1 comment:

Dan Lower said...

I'd call him right about the dancing assuming this means "modern jive" or whatever and not lindy hop or west-coast swing.

I'd rather be able to do a solid lindy with my wife than a solid waltz, though I'm not sure why I would really feel the need to choose. Waltz does look pretty cool. Just my preference.