The Culture that has been here all the time

I was so happy whenever I was told by a woman on our first date that I was her wish come true. I danced around laughing and ate my favorite foods, and drank my favorite brew until I fell asleep on the floor. When I woke up, she was gone. I was left to wonder why.

In a world filled with upheaval and potential evil dynamics, going up a forest-covered mountain, building a cabin, and hiding will not save you. Politically, what will you do if they come for you with charges that you did or didn't do something according to the new rules? Will you stick your head in the ground a pretend they are not there?

Every citizen in every nation must sooner or later accept that they have a responsibility to either support, change, or condemn the current world order.  The world is inextricably connected now in economics, human rights, and even politically.

You can walk away from your family and pretend they are not there, but they are still your family, nevertheless.

You can "pass the buck," but in the end, whatever happens will still affect your life.

Grandma told me life sucks and then you die. I woke up nauseous and tired, and I will not engage in too many emails today. The world? One step forward and two steps back. 

My wife is spared the gloom: a blessing of her cognitive illness. Ignorance truly is bliss, I suppose. 

I at least get to pet my dogs and cuddle my cat.

What else can I ask for?

I remember when: It was dangerous to be different. I had long hair and wore mod clothes and was beaten waiting for the bus as I left my girlfriend's home after I heard one of the three men as they passed me say, Is it a boy or is it a girl?" I had gay friends in the 1960s that was risky for me and them. People of color were not welcome in every place. I was near Newark NJ, during the riots and devastation: Troops and other official entities moved in with violent intent: most of the city burned to the ground. People either feared change or went all out in violent activities: anti-war, anti-discrimination.

Google AI

"In 1955, it was a criminal offense to be gay in the UK, with laws prohibiting sexual acts between men being actively enforced. Lesbian women serving in the military also faced penalties. Homosexuality was widely considered a mental illness, and medical interventions were used to "treat" it. Despite the legal and social stigma, some openly gay individuals, like Peter Wildeblood, actively challenged the laws and faced legal repercussions. "

People were openly mocked in the US if they were different, including birth defects.

I, and some of my friends, (including my brothers) stood up to the evil when we could it was a big risk. I enlisted in the Army but maybe because I had a valuable mind, they tolerated some of my quirks but took all my Bob Dylan songbooks.

Religion still is dangerous if you are not approved by the members of a sect or faith.

Freedom and Liberty are not guaranteed, and they are not free. Be ready for the challenge, silence is not a good option.  Six million people plus went to the German gas chambers or were shot, not all were jews.

I am an old Hippie we always promote peaceful protest but we can defend ourselves if threatened.

Links

"We must be taught how to navigate" the new world of copious information filled with propaganda and truth in a messy jumble. Valid information is so abundant, yet nefarious people fill the databases with fake, distorted, or scammer traps. 

Also, if you require esoteric information, you must be prepared to pay for it in some way. Be a member of some organization, pay the fees, purchase reports as needed, or employ experts to gather the needed information.

This is daunting for students, consumers, and aspiring entrepreneurs.

The digital age has arrived at the point that the artificial can replicate the genuine, and the most insidious aspect of this is creating the illusion that an expert puts forth information that seems real: film, photo, and video.

This is not a mere Renaissance or brave new world it is living in a maze-like puzzle.

I know that having a liberal education with a mix of history, logic, science, and technology increases your chances of avoiding the traps and snares.

This help is found in books like Third Millennium Thinking ( I do not get anything for this recommendation, I don't sell books.)

Humans have a fabulous imagination. We can create a wonderful reality from one that is a total wasteland without life. Even a fantasy world from the dismal life I lead.

I chose the planet Venus because with a thick, poisonous atmosphere and is hot enough to melt lead on its surface. Poets and writers imagined it to be a paradise until the Verna Venus landers arrived and gave us the real picture. LOL

Beautiful inhabitant of Venus as imagined:

vs the real surface of Venus without life of any sort:

I have not one doubt about it: Sexual Attraction is Automatic.

I believe first of all, our genes and chemistry control who we are attracted to, and our nurture either works for that or against that. If we are left to navigate puberty, we become aware of the process and by the time most of us reach adulthood, we have a clear picture who we are sexually.

Google AI Overview

There are many different sexual orientations, and it is impossible to determine an exact number. Some common sexual orientations include:  
Heterosexual: Attraction to people of the opposite sex
Homosexual (Gay or Lesbian): Attraction to people of the same sex
Bisexual: Attraction to people of both sexes
Asexual: Lack of sexual attraction
Pansexual: Attraction to people of any gender
Queer: An umbrella term for individuals who do not identify as heterosexual or cisgender
Intersex: Individuals born with variations in sex characteristics  
It's important to note that these are just a few examples, and there are many other sexual orientations that exist. Additionally, individuals may identify with multiple sexual orientations or change their identification over time.

No one else should or even can alter who you know who you are in this regard. Trying to interfere is dangerous to your well-being and may cause great harm to you. ONLY YOU KNOW WHY YOU ARE THE WAY YOU ARE, AND IT IS YOUR CHOICE TO CONTINUE OR ALTER THE PATH YOU ARE ON AS YOU SEE FIT.

Your happiness and emotional equilibrium are at stake. Interference from external sources (from ignorant people who pretend to know better) does the most harm.

Freedom to be who you are, foils tghe sterotypical idealism as defined by others is an errant point of view - prejudice and bigotry.

Here, I have openly expressed my frustration at not having a lover to engage in sex with since my wife has serious cognitive issues and is now asexual.

I don't blame her, it isn't on purpose, it is her illness. Some men divorce or at least place their non-functioning significant other in a care facility. "In sickness and or in health, 'till death do us part" is what I promised her forty years ago.

Go back to my youth for a clue about my temperament: I fell in love with every girl I felt an attraction for, like in the TV show "Dobie Gillis*". It seemed all the girls I was attracted to were not attracted to me. That was until I became a singer-songwriter in Greenwich Village, NYC, in the 1960s. Then I seemed to fall in love with a new girl every week, and most of them found me agreeable. Yet today, at my age of 77, I still have a strong libido and can easily fall back into that mode of sexual adventure. That is that my forty years plus of monogamy isn't working any longer.

If I had a social life, I could see myself mingling with several potential women to love and make love with, and see what happens. Just a fantasy now.

*

OK, your soul mate and you have a rift that can not be mended, so it is "Sayonara".

You set out to find a replacement: WRONG!

You Can Not Replace Someone. If reconciliation is not possible, it would be wise to begin a new relationship based on who you get involved with and custom-build it. Step by step, there are NO SHORT CUTS that would work in my opinion based on experience.

First, you must be over losing your significant other, and second, ready to move on. Of course, there is always a legacy we call baggage, filled with damaged goods, admit it or not. 

I experienced the negative aftereffects and learned from the lessons.

Before I reveal my experience and perspective on this topic. May ask for your opinions? Do any of you continue with sexual relations when a woman is having her period?