In other words, my Internet Pal, you have a lot to learn about homo sapiens and this rich pageant we call life.
Let's begin with a quote from your most recent post:
I reiterate my original rant that this practice is “peculiar,” not because it is practiced by some (variability among us demands that we have to expect that), but because it is practiced by so many despite the obvious drawbacks (very high maintenance requirements, pain, irritation, stubble, potential genital mutilation***, etc).Bzzt! Wrong! It is not variability that causes otherwise normal folks to shave their genitals, get pierced or tattooed. It is in our nature to do so. The practice of body modification is as old as humanity, and it is widely practiced by every culture on record. The pain, discomfort and effort if shaving is nothing compared to what's happened in other cultures and at other times.
Pick up Mom and Dad's National Geographic and take a look. The rituals of the African or Pacific tribes are not just strange primitive acts. Those people have the same DNA and brain as you and me, and though they modify their bodies in ways that may seem odd to us, the underlying motivation is the same as our need to tattoo, shave or pierce.
If those tribes are too primitive for you, let's take another example from a more "refined" society: the upper classes of the 17th and 18th centuries. If you listen to any Baroque opera, you'll notice that the male characters are all sung in the alto or soprano range. That's because this delicate, highly educated society preferred the voice of men who were castrated as youngsters to retain their high voice. There's a mutilation worthy of the name, and done in the name of art.
I could go on for days with other examples, but my point is the desire to modify our bodies is an intrinsic part of who we are. At the moment, shaving the pubes is au courant. This fashion will change, but the underlying impulse to modify will be with us always.
So, Rochacha, put away the ruler. Stop measuring and start doing! Step one: a few meals at the Y. Enjoy the special fragrance and taste of a beautiful, unshaven woman. Then, after she shaves or waxes, glory in the slippery smoothness of an uncomfortable (and maybe painful) gift freely given. Both are a great part of this chaotic spectacle we call life. Live it to its fullest, my friend.
