Separating the Fiction from the Philosophy

     Greetings,

     Reading Rakella's article in last month's Voice regarding choices and consequences gave me much food for thought. Each one of us is responsible for who and what we are and our own actions.

     A phrase was coined from something I quoted one day ("if you lay down with dogs, you get up with fleas") that phrase being "if you lay down with sleen, you get up smelling of sleen sh** ". Not extremely ladylike I know, but it brings home the fact you are known by the company you keep.

     The question is often asked, "What makes FreeWomen want to be part of online Gor?" There are a myriad of answers that have been given, too many in fact to list here.

The books give us many examples of FreeWomen in taverns, those that scorn men, those who flaunt their dominant side; these are only stories, characters made up to give a bit of spice, these "heroines" even in the stories were soon shown their place by men. The philosophy teaches us that men are indeed the dominant gender, and all Gorean women know and understand this.

     It was bandied around recently, and wrongly so, that men could be slaves because they are more easily sexually aroused than females, they can be bought to a climax much sooner. What rot! Anyone with an ounce of schooling or common sense knows that this is the nature of males in any species. It is part and parcel of who they are and is part of their make-up to ensure the continuance of that species or race.

     We have all had our fill of the leather-clad, sword-swinging females, the lesbians, those that would have some believe that they are what Norman had in mind when he created the series of books. It is not enough to give lip-service when online and have people think we know what we are talking about. To call ourselves Free Women it has to come from inside us, we must be who we say we are. To be respectful of men only when it suits us, then to gather behind closed doors, drink our blackwine and have a man-bashing session is hypocritical to say the least.

     To alcove with a man, and act slavelike, then take offense when you are called on it makes no sense, it shows you really have no clue who you are or why you are here. Likewise women taking slaves without knowing who they are or their ages again puts all free women in a bad light. Those women who state they have been happily married faithful to their spouse for "XX" years then freely engage in netsex do us no favors either.

     Yes Gor is harsh and it is most unfair, it is not only slaves that have a hard row to hoe, each and everyone of us do, and it is this harshness that ends up bringing out the best in us. We all stumble and fall, but so long as we get up, brush ourselves off and try harder there is hope for us.

     I know the reputation I have is one of blasting off at free women, but it is my love of this lifestyle that makes me do so and to see it derided makes my hackles rise. We do not live on a fictional planet so why use examples of fiction to justify our actions. It is the underlying philosophy that brings joy to our lives, if you haven't found that philosophy yet, re-read the books carefully, not just the story content.

     Regardless of how you view me, free women are not a dour bitter lot, it is the wit, the elegance and the graciousness of free women that Gorean men respect. So stop looking for fictional characters to justify your existence, instead look deep inside of yourself and find the woman that you are.

I wish you peace and happiness

Opal