[Epiphany: A realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something].
Come
Wow! I just had the most marvelous revelation come to me in form of a movie: Shortbus. This is an 18+ flick mixing real movie acting with explicit sexual scenes to create a profound masterpiece of modern cinematography. Read the synopsis: "[...] Shortbus explores the lives of several emotionally challenged characters as they navigate the comic and tragic intersections between love and sex in and around a modern-day underground salon."
But Shortbus is so much more than that: It´s really a love song to individual sexual freedom and acceptance. The movie explores sexuality outside of accepted norms. The characters in this film are real, real in the sense that they don´t try to hide their inner turmoil about their sexuality. Nothing is as it seems on the surface.
Shortbus is about sexual freedom, whether it is a sex therapist that never had an orgasm in her life, or a dominatrix that years to feel connected with someone. Its about breaking the boundaries of sexuality, and just being yourself, with all the contradictions life entails. As such it is a wonderful movie.
For me, movie goes further than that, though. It is not just about sexual freedom, it´s about a more general freedom, a freedom of mind. And the movie is using sex as the gateway.
The truths we learn about sexual freedom also hold in the rest of our lives. Sex is used as a gate, since we all feel freer in sexuality than in any other part of our lives. Sexuality gives people a way to express themselves freely, a parallel world where everything is possible, in contrast to the real world, where everything must be logical and explainable. We all are more open and accepting of personal differences when it comes to sexuality. Sexuality is about just being yourself in front of somebody else. And that means to go beyond what you can explain in words, to be a whole person including all the contradcitions your personality holds.
Especially here in Germany we are so trapped by a system that only allows people to be something if they can logically explain. They have to be able to convince critics about themselves using worn-out justifications, as if things that cannot be explained don´t exist. There is only black and white, only drawers to fit in or not, either you are totally one way or totally the other.
An example: If you are a homosexual, then you have all the logical explanations of homesexuality ready, but you could never be a heterosexual who loves getting dicked. Just the same there is no such thing as a man who has a mutually loving realtionship with dolphins, but can´t explain why. That category just doesn´t exist, so you the man just hasn´t found his true identity. It is just not possible even if your heart tells you otherwise.
Through sexuality we can understand ourselves as contradictory beings. Don´t reduce yourself to a character, accept the inner turmoil that is life: We all are paradox human beings that cannot be reduced to a set of explanations. We are are anything and everything at different times in our lives. Accept this reality in your life. You see it best in your own sexuality, of how completely different you are from everybody else on this planet: This is the beauty of the individual. Be thankful for this diversity, and try to make it part of the rest of your life as well. You are different, and that´s a compliment!
If this means anything to you, please open your mind and go watch the movie, you´ll understand what I mean. You have the gift of choice of who to be. Use it!
tags: sex, adventure, shortbus
