Apples and Wine.
For centuries now in western society, women have been regarded as being no better than second-class citizens. Even from birth, both sexes have been born into unequal worlds. All title has automatically been passed down the generations from father to son, from King to Prince. Both Church and State have effectively been managed by the males. Parliament has legislated man-made laws, introduced by male-dominated chambers. Such laws have been designed primarily to protect property, and until recent decades, all property brought into a marriage by a woman, effectively came under the husband's ownership when she became his wife.
Indeed, it is only during the past eighty years that it has been considered illegal for a husband to beat his wife with an instrument longer than 'the permitted length'. Indeed, it wasn't many moons ago when it would have been impossible for a wife to secure a conviction against a husband who'd forced sexual intercourse upon her against her will and expressed wishes to the contrary. Once, it was considered that a married man could not commit an offence of rape against his wife! Overall, women would have fared better had they been left at the mercy of King Kong than they would have at the mercy of man.
Indeed, it is only during the past eighty years that it has been considered illegal for a husband to beat his wife with an instrument longer than 'the permitted length'. Indeed, it wasn't many moons ago when it would have been impossible for a wife to secure a conviction against a husband who'd forced sexual intercourse upon her against her will and expressed wishes to the contrary. Once, it was considered that a married man could not commit an offence of rape against his wife! Overall, women would have fared better had they been left at the mercy of King Kong than they would have at the mercy of man.
In many Eastern and third world societies, women are no better than work horses for their men folk and females infants are frequently murdered at birth and discarded as being an economic drain upon their poor families. While birth control methods can be equally used by either sex, it is invariably the woman in the relationship who takes responsibility at the possible expense of her body. The most obvious illustration of such unfairness can be best seen where matters of clothes and body physique are concerned.
Whereas, men can grow fatter with impunity, women are expected to struggle to attain at least one body size less than they ought to be, men are allowed to dress for the comfort of their own skin while women unquestionably are brought up to dress for the eyes of the men!
With a few exceptions, the majority of low paid jobs are filled more by women than men and the vast majority of all business and commerce are managed and controlled by male Chief Executive Officers.
Whereas, men can grow fatter with impunity, women are expected to struggle to attain at least one body size less than they ought to be, men are allowed to dress for the comfort of their own skin while women unquestionably are brought up to dress for the eyes of the men!
With a few exceptions, the majority of low paid jobs are filled more by women than men and the vast majority of all business and commerce are managed and controlled by male Chief Executive Officers.
If a married man found love and affection in the arms of another woman, until more latterly, society shunned the spurned wife. In some Eastern Countries, an unfaithful wife is still liable to be stoned to death for her marital transgression! It is as though, men have for centuries sought to keep women in their place while they held the whip hand within the big top of society. And where have their places been, one may well ask? The answer is where women have always finished up according to chauvinistic custom and practice; at the bottom of the dung heap, locked in their cages or at the base of the pyramid and helping to maintain the male structure up above!
Let me state loud and clear, that as far as common sense goes, in adding up the pros and cons between the sexes, the women win hands down every time! Why, even the silliest woman can manage a clever man, but it takes a clever woman to manage a fool; especially one who cannot see beyond his reach and who is unprepared to stretch for the finest of fruit that is within his grasp. When climbing high, they often leave themselves out on a limb and in discussion they frequently paint themselves into a corner with the absence of logic. Where money is concerned, their business acumen leaves much to be desired. Put simply, they would be better throwing it away and thereby allowing someone else to find it and spend it instead of wasting it. Finally their resolution of problem solving is often bizarre, to say the least.
I am going to tell you the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about man and woman. The difference between the two, I shall illustrate through my allegorical story about apples and wine.
Women are like apples on a tree of life. The best ones are always to be found at the top of the tree. They hide themselves away from the lower branches for they know that the man for them will not wait idly by, but forsaking all risk, will seek them out where few dare to follow.This is their natural position in the order of things and they would not prefer it any other way. There is simply no way that they would occupy any other tree space lower down or attach themselves to any man who dare not to climb ever higher in pursuit of his own happiness.
Women are like apples on a tree of life. The best ones are always to be found at the top of the tree. They hide themselves away from the lower branches for they know that the man for them will not wait idly by, but forsaking all risk, will seek them out where few dare to follow.This is their natural position in the order of things and they would not prefer it any other way. There is simply no way that they would occupy any other tree space lower down or attach themselves to any man who dare not to climb ever higher in pursuit of his own happiness.
Most men don’t dare reach for the good ones because they are afraid of being rejected. They dare not climb too high lest they fall from grace. They remain afraid of making themselves vulnerable to falling and getting hurt. Instead, they content themselves with taking the apples from the ground and lower branches that aren’t as good, but are easier to handle.
I once remember being told by a beautiful-looking girl that her beauty did not assist her when she went dancing. Indeed; she even described it as a hindrance. It would seem that the males rarely asked her to dance 'out of fear of being rejected.' She said that it was always her plainer-looking female friends who seemed to get all the dances, as presumably the males requesting them felt comfortable of the girl being asked saying, 'Yes.' In short, being unprepared to reach out for the best fruit on the higher branches, they were content to partake of the lesser produce which involved less hurt if they fell from grace. There is little point being a beautiful swan on the dancing lake if it's the ugly ducklings who are thrown the bread.
I once remember being told by a beautiful-looking girl that her beauty did not assist her when she went dancing. Indeed; she even described it as a hindrance. It would seem that the males rarely asked her to dance 'out of fear of being rejected.' She said that it was always her plainer-looking female friends who seemed to get all the dances, as presumably the males requesting them felt comfortable of the girl being asked saying, 'Yes.' In short, being unprepared to reach out for the best fruit on the higher branches, they were content to partake of the lesser produce which involved less hurt if they fell from grace. There is little point being a beautiful swan on the dancing lake if it's the ugly ducklings who are thrown the bread.
The apples at the top of the tree start to think that there is something wrong with them when in reality; they are truly beautifully mature and amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along; the one who is brave enough to climb up to the top of the tree.
Now women consider most men to be like wine; a project in the making. Man enters this world as the grapes of the earth and it’s up to the women to stomp the shit out of them until they turn into something more palatable; something good enough to bring to the dinner table, something that daddy and mummy would ‘approve of’.
But never fail to distinguish the ‘finest’ of man from the ‘lesser’ of his kind. While the latter is for walking on, the other is for walking out with. When the finest of women meet the finest of men, they won’t ever allow their palate to tolerate the taste of the lesser ever again.
But never fail to distinguish the ‘finest’ of man from the ‘lesser’ of his kind. While the latter is for walking on, the other is for walking out with. When the finest of women meet the finest of men, they won’t ever allow their palate to tolerate the taste of the lesser ever again.
The women highest up life’s tree will surrender themselves into the hands of the man who dared to pluck them from their branches and will allow themselves to be carried away along the road of fruition. For the rest of their days both man and woman shall experience the very best of apples and wine.
They shall live as equals, sharing roles and responsibilities within an overall range of tasks that has been previously agreed upon. When one is cut and hurts, both shall bleed. When both hunger and thirst, neither will dine. When they move, it will be forward in union. When they stay, it will be together. Their love for each other shall remain as ripe as it first was, by staying beneath the light of love that emanates towards them from the moon above.
They will dance like no one is watching, sing like no one is listening, love like they’ve never been hurt and live as though it’s heaven on earth. And at the end of their life, they will rejoice in the enduring nature of their love and know that their lasting feelings for each other in this life shall be carried forward to the next with no less constancy than they have grown accustom to.
Copyright William Forde April, 2012.
