On this upcoming lovely day of lips, hearts, the cherubs Eros and Love, and their sharp little arrows from clouds above, nailing many a smitten people in the butt-cheeks every February 14th without fail, I’d like to pay tribute to these cunning sharpshooters with chubby bellies and flappy wings.
As I began to first imagine and draft this blog-post in my head thinking about all the benefits to be loved and to love, why and with who (or whom), I eventually realized that these Cupids might not have the most precise aim or in ideal match-making, especially when it comes to us often barbaric, dense-headed heterosexual men! 😬
Women have a greater capacity to hold on to profound memories and moments.
Women are flat out cleaner when it comes to housekeeping and hygiene.
Women have acutely stronger senses.
Women are great multitaskers.
Women have become more and more financially independent.
Women have stronger hearts, literally.
Now gentlemen, what do we offer in life for the lovely ladies to get excited about? What are we near-primate heterosexual men like to thrill the beautiful lasses and make their hearts leap and go pitter-patty? Hmm, this shouldn’t be too hard, right?
Great Reasons to Love A Man – Compared to Reasons Above!
We get a gold-star and lots of credit for even the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
Our undergarments are $15 for a three-pack, and that’s not even on sale.
We are incapable of seeing wrinkles in our clothes.
We do not need to shave below our neck.
One wallet, one pair of shoes, one color, all seasons covered, for years!
We only know the actual names of (maybe?) five colors of the spectrum.
We can trust our buddies/mates to NEVER trap us with the trick question: “So, notice anything different?”
We can do our fingernails either with our teeth, or a pocketknife.
Wedding dress: $2,700 — Tuxedo rental: $100.
Gray hair and skin wrinkles add more character.
Holiday shopping can be accomplished for 25-30 relatives and friends, on December 24th, in 45-mins or less.
If another Neanderthal man shows up at our party in the same outfit, we might become lifelong pals/mates.
Now, when we look and compare these two lists, I mean, COME ON gals! Is it any wonder why we bring so much to the Den of Love & Everlasting Romance!? 💞💘 And on a final note…
Three Wishes
One day a typical Neanderthal-primate man spotted an old lamp by the roadside. He picked it up, rubbed it vigorously, and out popped this magical Genie.
“I will grant you your fondest wish this day.”
The man racked his dense cranium for several moments in an effort to get this decision just perfect, then in brilliant excitement he said, “I want a spectacular job, a job that no man on Earth has ever succeeded at or has ever attempted to do in all of history!”
“Granted,” said the Genie and POOF! There was a cloud of smoke and sparkly pixie-dust.
“You are a woman and housewife.”
Live Well – Love Much – Laugh Often – Learn Always – Men, Beg for More Forgiveness! 😉
A few weeks back a very dear friend to me wrote and published on WordPress a most magnificent poem about chemical, ethereal, human connections, synapses, and interactions that are not so common and in my opinion come around and manifest themselves once, twice, maybe three-four times in a lifetime. When it magically occurs it hits you in the chest deep and almost paralyzes your brain, speech, and body. Esmeralda Cloud or Esme Upon the Cloud is how everyone knows the Madame. Here is her masterpiece, Melding a Small Cache of Electric, Eclectic Synapses:
The first blast came from nowhere, To her heart . . . and to her hands. Hands that touched his, Palm to palm, finger to finger. Every digit leaning gently upon the others, Melding a small cache Of electric, eclectic synapses Softly between them. Yet it came as no surprise –
It was, as it had always been, forever and a day.
The first blast came from somewhere, In his heart . . . and in his hands, Hands that touched hers, Palm to palm, finger to finger. Every digit leaning gently upon the others, Melding a small cache Of electric, eclectic synapses Softly between them. Yet it came as some surprise –
It was, as it had always been, forever and a day.
The initial pillows of the explosion Were numb with silent, sonic, relinquishment. It blasted them light years apart . . . apart. Apart from one, singular golden thread: A chain of tenacious fire which endured; Linking, binding. Holding fast. Continuing the continuum, palm to palm, Stretching out across vast, immutable distances. At first of space, And then later, time –
It was, as it had always been, forever and a day.
Together, yet alone, they hurtled backwards, To be caught warmly, effortlessly, By personal terra firma of autonomous worlds: Comfortable fields of bright corn, Arm in arm with solid landscapes of contentment.
And so it came to pass, That the universe and its incalculable, enchanting Dimensions were countless aeon away. Yet the swirls on their fingertips tingled, Mourning their loss, and reaching for the stars; Every morning when they awoke, And again, every evening, before they slept, Falling into the arms of Morpheus –
It was, as it had always been, forever and a day.
Upon each diurnal course their planets revolved; The cogs of every hour rotated. Ticking, tocking, clicking, clocking, onwards. Decades, then centuries, burgeoned with life’s roller-coasters; The pages of each life turned, emitting Joys and happiness, loves and fears For those who lived. Tears and heartache For those who died. Passions, curiosities, trials, guiles and smiles, All ensconced firmly within their hearts. Ticking, tocking, clicking, clocking, onwards –
It was, as it had always been, forever and a day.
They died, and were reborn: In multifarious myriadal, twisting times, Beyond quantification. Different lives; differing planets; Alternate worlds; alternative dimensions. Male or female, alike and unlike alike. Aeons arose and insouciantly passed, Yet still, regardless of time’s toll, The chain of fire between them remained; Its warm glow oscillating back and forth in animated, rapacious pulses –
It was, as it had always been, forever and a day.
The fire burned them painfully at times. And so it was that measures were undertaken: He took a blowtorch to his end of the chain, She an angle grinder to hers. In fervid despair, they, in turn, had tried Hammers, sickles, gelignite, flint and steel, Hatchets, guillotines and pick-axes, Chewing and stretching, gnawing of teeth, Acid baths, anvils dropped, dynamite, grenades. In fact, the whole cartoon’ish caboodle of ACME warehouse Weaponry was wily waved and yet . . . All to no avail – the chain remained just as it was: Immutable. Perpetual. And elements of their souls were relieved –
It was, as it had always been, forever and a day.
Sometimes, within certain lives One would twang the line, Causing untold vibrations to electrify with joy, Or dampen the other soul’s heart. Sometimes, the other would do just the same. And this was welcomed, For it conjured pockets of remembered smiles; Times when the stars waved at them as they flew, Through the night skies with pounding, childlike hearts and eyes –
It was, as it had always been, forever and a day.
One day, when innumerable aeons had passed, And they were both distant copies of their original selves, A spontaneous contraction of the chain occurred; Like a cord shuttling back into a cosmic vacuum cleaner, And BOOM! Suddenly there they were once again;
Heart to heart. Hands touching hands; Wrinkled palm against palm; Aged finger to finger. Every digit leaning gently upon the others, Melding a small cache of electric, eclectic synapses Softly between them. One set of murky cataracts Gazing into the other’s. Toothless smiles; Radiant gums.
And it came as no surprise.
And the time was right now.
And it was beautiful –
It was, as it has always been . . . forever and a day.
Please stop over to her most enjoyable, provocative, witty Imaginarium upon the Cloud. I promise you will not regret it! Tell her that her favorite suave, Steampunk, pervert Professor Taboo sent you. It will make her heart go pitter-patter and her knees wobbly. 🤭
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Live Well — Love Much — Laugh Often — Learn Always
The five of us lounged in recliners and the two soft leather couches with wine or cocktails in hand. We had finished our saucers with portions such as artichoke dip with Mediterranean Herb or Sea-salted pita crackers. Fresh strawberries, grapes, broccoli and cauliflower bites and a crab-log dip were also available. After all, it was my small, modest birthday party — just as I like it.
When you die, how do you wish to be remembered and by whom?
We five had arrived at this question in a rather funny way. Ms. Lyncháge had been describing how when she and her late husband had friends over to their small farm cottage, his billy goats — particularly the bucks she explained — seemed to always mount the does just in time and en massé to show off the grandeur of raw masculinity to their human guests. Her and her late husband’s embarrassed… umm, excuses to guests about the loud pornographic show was essentially caused by the local water and/or the trees, bushes, weeds, or “Fescue-passion grass” as possible causes of untimely uninhibited goat-sex. “Is there much difference between goat-love and any other mammalian love?” I asked the room. My mother chimed in “Hah! As one of eleven children, I can safely say ‘HELL YES!’” She pointed over to a large picture of my maternal grandparents (below), specifically her father.
Grandpa & Grandma Bonnet
If there were a hundred different oral tales and stories about my maternal grandparents, the one that was always discernible was Grandpa Bonnet was cheerfully relaxed and content and Grandma Bonnet: easily agitated. Apparently twelve times and over 172 years agitated, if combining all their children’s rearing years! Ms. Lyncháge, my Mom, and Mrs. Mortician all vehemently gave their personal agreements, and with all being grandmothers too, in unison proclaimed proudly and resoundingly “Keep your damn thingy AWAY from me!“
When you die, how do you wish to be remembered and by whom?
Several months ago I learned from Mom more about the maternal side of the Bonnets: the Preece side. It was widely suspected among my maternal grandmother’s family that two, possibly three Aunts were ladies of the night. This apparently was one cause (among many I’m sure) to why one Preece-branch was Pentecostal Church goers, and the other… umm, “something else.” As our family story goes, my Grandpa and Grandma Bonnet would not talk much about “that part” of the family. At family reunions I often heard from other maternal aunts, uncles, great cousins, great aunts and great uncles that “not much is known about that side of the family.” No matter how many times Why was asked, the answers were short and vague. A family conundrum having lived within a few miles or half-day’s slow horse ride from each other!
When you die, how do you wish to be remembered and by whom?
Last July while visiting two days/nights with my Aunt and Uncle — my Dad’s younger brother and sister-in-law — I learned some fascinating details about my paternal grandmother’s side (Konzack and Tacquard) going back five and six generations to Xavier and wife Robin Gauthier, who in the early 1800’s lived southwest of Paris, France in Baillou near Le Mans. It was known much of the Tacquard side lived in and around Vauthiermont near Switzerland before some moved toward Paris. I read a copy of a personal letter written in French by Robin Gauthier to my grandmother’s maternal family (the Tacquards) in Alta Loma, Texas transposed into English by one of my French-English speaking great great aunts; see following images.
Learning about such intimate details of our Gauthier and Guyot ancestors, as well as life in 1850s France was not just fascinating, but very personal. They descended from a Germanic origin which in various socio-familial ways, timelines, migrations and immigrations found their way from 1830-1840’s Europe to Galveston and Indianola, Texas. As the personal letter reads, the story of our Tacquard family is one of genuine enthusiasm and some hardships. It explains in part why so many traveled so far to Texas for new opportunities.
The majority of otherwise less known white-Texas history — for example, the truer history as opposed to those families from southeastern and midwest slave states from early America and their versions — actually originates from German, French, and some Eastern European, Italian, and Spanish heritage. These various Texian-Tejano families typically settled in early 19th-century townships and counties with familiar cultures and customs. Several Texas genealogical historians today record that these groups of Texas-Europeans fled their native continent to escape political, religious, and racial tyrannies. This stands in clear contrast to what southeastern and midwest slave-owning U.S. families brought to mid-to-late 19th-century Texas which is more widely told or written. Most all of my maternal and paternal ancestral family sides were, in various degrees, libertarians, reformists, agorists, abolitionists, and/or egalitarians. Click here for a brief encapsulation of the first Tacquards arriving in 1844 Indianola and founding the town of Castroville, Texas. They tried to stick together through time and travels, usually succeeding. My Konzack-Tacquard line had what might only be described as (by wide comparisons)… unconventional spousal, parenting, passionate and lively social relationships within their innermost circle.
Romance, dancing, flirtation, absorbing enchantment, and frankly sex were never viewed or practiced as dirty, evil, or sinful. On the contrary, it was gladly embraced as quite natural, quite human; a necessary pleasure if you will. My paternal grandmother was a nationally competing ballroom dancer, and she was exceptionally graceful. Her mother, my great grandmother Lucile Tacquard-Konzack, I fondly remember as spunky, charmingly agile for her lofty age, forthright, and always ready to laugh. My father absolutely idolized her. She and her family loved life and those dearest to her. Every year the “Kiddo” Tacquard reunion, barbeque, spirited-beverages, and live music by bands that could play all the popular Texas 2-step and waltz songs, 1950’s jitterbugs and swings, as well as the traditional French-German polkas and schottisches out on Kiddo’s massive unwalled hay-barn with concrete foundation scattered with sawdust was a town spectacle. It was a gathering of all in-law families and close friends numbering in the hundreds. Through my adolescence into my 20’s this partying reunion was an event I feverishly looked forward to every July 4th holiday weekend! Some of my fondest happiest memories were there with everyone.
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These family traits were and had been passed down from generation to generation, especially through maternal family lines. My father learned about intercourse from a live demonstration by his parents at the age of sixteen. Tis true. Upon the death of my paternal grandmother, my aforementioned uncle and aunt, while sorting through all her private belongings, discovered in one of her favorite books several nude photos of herself taken at their nearby rural bayou-property. Shy, as I remember, was never a Konzack-Tacquard quirk. Life was to be fully experienced, not feared.
So returning to my present-day birthday party-guests, I shared these family customs, with some discretion of course, and I asked the room…
When you die, how do you wish to be remembered and by whom?
My great grandmother Lucile Tacquard-Konzack, c. 1916
“I would destroy or burn anything like that!” replied Mrs. Mortician. “Oh, I have already done away with” Ms. Lyncháge explained, “items of that nature between my late husband and I.” We all laughed at such family secrets. Earlier in the evening in the kitchen they had heard my Mom and I briefly talk about our Preece Ladies of the Night and more family secrets. And why not? When you are among close dear friends who are very trustworthy, what are “appropriate” necessary boundaries? What constitutes truly endearing adoring friendships? What should immediate and extended family descendants be expected to understand about multi-faceted dynamics and expressions of love? Who best to learn from?
Over the last couple years my mother continues packing or unpacking to move out of her house going through very sentimental personal letters and items she and my father exchanged while dating. Reading and reminiscing she tacitly expressed to me how passionate and sexual their earliest years had truly been. My personality (family DNA?) warmly thought “How natural; how very human. As it should be.“
As a tribute from my own generation’s music, I offer this song I feel is my dance of life for my family of lifetime music-loving dancers going back at least five and six generations…
A Konzack-Tacquard heirloom – 1913 Edison Amberola Phonograph
When you die, how do you wish to be remembered and by whom?
In my own personal lifetime, I too have created and accumulated MANY cherished romantic, fervent, even wickedly primal moments, and many with photos, in letters, and on video. During our separation and inevitable divorce, my children’s mother made me burn everything intimate and/or sexual we had between us, including all the Swinging-BDSM photos and videos. At the time I did so in the earnest hope I might save our marriage and my family. Today, I understand why she demanded it all be destroyed, but I don’t agree with her reasons. To this day I still have 3-5 recently past relationships of cherished, romantic, steamy memories safely and secretly stored away. Those 3-5 ladies know I have them and the others. To them, or any intimate partner in my future, I do not hide this. It is my way of expressing to them how much they meant to me and still mean to me. All beauty and passion should be free. All have opportunities to be just as adored, just as loved if not more. Come what may!
Me – Professor Taboo
My hope is that she/they would embrace all my moving past life-moments and for my own personal reasons, cherished memories from a window of time that made me who I am. Very fun unforgettable times, past. Moments captured in a time gone by, but not lost. Nothing more, nothing less. Or are they?
If you pass into the afterlife, or pass from this life sooner than expected, suddenly… should those cherished, sentimental, romantic, passionate things be (or have been) destroyed forever, never to be known or treasured by even your closest most meaningful persons or descendants?
When you die, how do you wish to be remembered and by whom? What will your true legacy be?
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Live Well — Love Much — Laugh Often — Learn Always
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Footnote — if interested, this post: My Heretical Heritage, covers some of my maternal ancestory.
Every so often I stumble across or revisit some exceptional writing, verse and prose, that latches itself to heart and soul here and again, reminding me how perfectly life, time, and uncommon love can reassure. These two I share are favorites when heart is full, or heavy, or alone.
Isn’t it true
however far we’ve wandered
into our provinces of persecution,
where our regrets accuse,
we keep returning
back to the common faith
from which we’ve all dissented,
back to the hands, the feet, the faces?
Children are always there
and take the hands,
even when they are most terrified.
Those in love
cannot make up their minds
to go or stay.
Artist and doctor return most often.
Only the mad will never, never come back.
For doctors keep on worrying while away,
in case their skill is suffering or deserted.
Lovers have lived so long with giants and elves,
they want belief again in their own size.
And the artist prays ever so gently,
let me find pure all that can happen.
Only uniqueness is success.
For instance let me perceive
the images of history.
All that I push away
with doubt and travel,
today’s and yesterdays alike, like bodies.
—- Letters from Iceland, W.H. Auden
Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.
How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.
Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.
Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.
—- The More Loving One, W.H. Auden
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Do you have a favorite Auden piece? Share them below. It isn’t enough to just gaze. Let’s taste and savor up the emotions Auden stirs. Please.
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Live Well — Love Much — Laugh Often — Learn Always
As part of the Alternative Lifestyles blog-posts migration over to the new blog The Professor’s Lifestyles Memoirs, this post has been moved there. To read this post please click the link to the blog.
Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it
The Professor's Convatorium 