The Screamer

I saw a comedy sketch taking the piss out of folk (women) who are noisy during sex and chining them for being fake.

It made me think of, like many things, how we’re picked apart whether we’re too noisy or too quietshe fucks like a whore or fucks like she’s frigid. Judged and executed no matter what the fuck we do (or don’t). She needs to relax more, oh no, wait, she’s too relaxed!

As a vocaliser (I know, it’s always ‘the quiet ones’, right), holding back is a conscious effort during physically expressive acts whose essence, and one of the primary goals of exchanging sexual energy, is to create and build pleasure and ultimately let go. And submit to the little death (or a few, if lucky). Of course, there are times when we must, like when in a public place perhaps or as a guest, those times sneaking around and sex is against the rules. Times when desire is high, but outward expression must be controlled. But for the most part, exchanging sexual energy should not be the time for minding our oooos and ahhhhs, our grunts and growls, our moans and screams.

Personal anecdote time: That sketch reminded me of something that happened in my early 20s, where my vocal enthusiasm was subject to gossip thanks to an ex’s absolute lack of integrity and disrespect. Not just any ex, he was the first I loved. My younger sister was exposed to this gossip, which wasn’t confined to a single conversation. It spread. Honestly, when it came to my attention, I was mortified. Intimate details being talked about in such a crass way in a group setting by someone I trusted was disappointing towards their character and any emotional connection, I thought we had shared. I was disgusted, embarrassed, and hurt. This discussion was spread beyond a singular conversation. And I got hints of it before I knew when I was introduced to some folks by the loose-tongued fool. One of them, when we shook hands over the loud music, with wide eyes said, “Ahhh, you’re Natasha—the screamer.” Funny the little lines we remember, huh? From almost two decades ago, I can still hear that. Anyway, at the time, I crossed my brow, a bit confused. I guess I knew but wanted to see the best in people, so I brushed it off, he wouldn’t talk about me that way, would he? (Yes. He was a player. He would, and he did). It was a few weeks later, my sister shared with me that I was being gossiped about. Again, at that juncture, with our age gap, she was my baby sister, so I was seriously mortified that she was exposed to that discussion.

This could have made me insecure in how I sexually expressed myself, especially since this gossip was from someone I mistakenly trusted and thought more of. Thankfully, for me, it didn’t. But I know that such slights can impact many folks enough to hinder their openness and expression. Honestly, fuck that. And fuck anyone who judges your intimate expression. Let that heat shimmer, glimmer and ripple, the bubbles, the sparks that catch under your skin and prickle; let it build in silence or groan and moan and scream your pleasure. Let it pour out in whatever way is natural. These things aren’t always for thinking; they are waves to be ridden. That sexual pleasure and expression is yours to create. Yours to share. Yours to express. Yours to own. Yours to fucking scream (inside or outside your body)!

Personally, I love the noises folk make when they fuck. I am a creepy wee voyeur for listening in when I’m not part of the action. It stirs the ardour.

Crumbs

Into the sea of a billion similar blog posts on the state of ‘dating’, here’s my crumb to be dissolved in the salt. I’m sore, so I’m hitting the innie hard, which usually means I go out of direct contact except for a teeny few for a bit. 

I’ve spent most of my teen and adult life in a relationship thus my experience with being single is limited. There have only been a few small windows. It seems that there are many of us in my generation (middle-aged, single), and I don’t believe it’s because people lack anything from previous generations for LTRs to stick. I think it’s more that we’re developing more self-respect for personal needs than being sacrificed to unhappy, uncommunicative, sometimes abusive, neglectful, and unfulfilling institutions, of which there seem to be many. My last relationship spanned 16 years, of which I was monogamous, so it had been a fair while since I dipped my toes into the pool!

I had a brief flurry on a particular app — chatted to a few folks; some seemed decent, but others were a fucking shambles. I’m not sure when it became acceptable to ask if a woman wants to eat your ass in a greeting, but there seems to be more of those clods than decent folks on the apps. The way they speak over text would never happen in real life. It’s fucking nuts. And there are the time wasters who are bored, probably married (and not open), and want to chat but never meet. (I understand why pages like ‘Are we dating the same guy/girl exist?’. Sadly, they have to and probably create as many problems as they highlight.) And, of course, there’s the torrential onslaught of egomania DPs and selfies—men being more visual, this seemed more a male thing. Women connect differently. Many seem slow to learn that—that’s one to teach our sons.

I didn’t go more than ankle deep and quickly decided—fuck that, and shut it down. I don’t imagine ever returning to those avenues (I may get more chickens). In theory, it’s such a fun and efficient idea to meet folks looking for the same things, but it’s riddled with liars.

What the actual fuck?

Anyway, after that, there was an accident, not from the dating apps. We actually met in person, and I stupidly caught feelings and hurt myself. Is this a right of passage? Does it mean I’m now totally part of the 21st century and the death of human connection? Where heavy contact and mixed signals, then nothing are the norm?

I might have been a boredom breaker, like you’d give to a dog—chewed up, spat out, tossed to be forgotten under the sofa, now onto the next shiny toy to rip apart.

It’s depressing the state human connection and communication has gotten into with regards to romance, sex, and any new relationship (or situationship now?) that involves exploring and engaging with one or both of those things. 

It’s fucked, isn’t it? It’s not even a question. I know it is.

Personally, being of a HSP, empathic, introverted nature—it is hell, and we are screwed. Quick! Grab all the books and head to the woods! I either feel nothing or I feel it all intensely, and I read and soak in the emotional energy of others with whom I directly connect. With this, I am immensely lucky in the very close friendships I have. Unlucky in the other.

My nature has been weaponised against me in the past, particularly in relationships. I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve allowed emotional manipulation to steal years of my life. Time is life; it’s all we get. The quality and authenticity of the connections we make matter. When there are shifts in emotional energy, there’s a very direct impact. Those three personality traits interlink heavily with the physical. When HSPs are emotionally messed around, we feel it everywhere: we can’t sleep, how we feel is deafening and consuming, we get stuck in conversations in our heads (even ones that haven’t happened. The words unuttered become haunting ghosts), and we beat ourselves up.

Over recent years, I’ve been trying to manage these things better, and this year, I made a conscious effort to try to implement self-care and regulation so I can support better mental health. That self-work really is so important for all of us. The more sensitively, empathetic natured tend to sacrifice that naturally to support the energy of those we feel connected to. It’s not an easy trait to snap out of. Work is continuous.

It’s not about being ‘too sensitive’ or having to ‘harden up’ as I, and I know others of a similar cut, would have heard growing up. Honestly, I’m not 100% sure what the solution is because right now, I’m in ‘shut everything down!’, ‘raise the drawbridge!’, ‘flood the fucking moat!’, and ‘stay away from all people!’ mode. Defensive. But we shouldn’t have to live that way. And I know that mindset creates trouble when the fort is battened down too hard….

Fuck. I hate this feeling.

‘The mouth of the wolf, the eyes of the lamb’ —Rain, SleepToken