Chapter 55 really has had me thinking. You know, reading the Laramie Saga is opening a new world to me, in several ways. First, I had no idea until I saw the movie how hot it is to see two men in love. Wow. Paradigm shift. Then I discovered slash and, through the davecullen forum, "Taking Chances." Whoa.
Up until this series, I had read exactly ONE romance novel in my life – over thirty years ago. Clearly not my cup of tea. Then I got ahold of "Taking Chances" and its successive books and everything changed. Adding the (frequent!) sex to the story is a whole new way of looking at romance for me, and it is a real eye-opener. Okay, I don't read hetero romances, so maybe they've got it too, but it just didn't have any appeal to me. But having sex included in this story adds an element to the emotional aspect of the characters that just grabs me and won't let go. I can't wait to read more, and it isn't just because it's titillating – and it is – but it fully explores the human condition within the confines of a loving relationship. I'm hooked.
Within this new way of looking at love, I'm discovering things about myself. I'm examining my own feelings about sex, its role in my marriage, and its natural place in our world. I have to say I've always wondered what all the fuss was about over consensual sexual practices. There doesn't seem to be a forum for discussion of what it all means except in places like this. Is this a first? It is for me.
We are clearly such sexual creatures and yet we keep it hidden like an underground river: powerful, hidden just beneath the surface, with the capacity to nourish or drown, depending on whether we open the gates or dam it all up. This exploration of love and life with Ennis and Jack and now Ellery is nourishing me in ways I didn't know were possible. Better late than never!
Louise, if ever you're wondering if all the hard work you're doing is reaching anyone to the depth you hoped, know this: it's changed me, for the better. And I know I'm not alone.