The Other Junk

I've been reading articles about men and their penises lately. I don't mean like the letters to porn mags, I mean articles where men speak quite frankly about what it's like to be a person with a penis. This wasn't the usual bravado "I has penis heh heh heh" stuff. These were frank, honest, very vulnerable and very human discussions about what life with a penis can be like. As someone who has never experienced that, it was an interesting read.

Some things I found out. Penises can sometimes touch toilet water. This is certainly an upsetting thought if the person is pooping into the toilet at the time. That has to be an unsettling experience and one I'm glad I get to avoid in life. They can be quite betraying at times, which I'm sure also isn't a lot of fun. I mean, I could be horny all day long, no one would know unless I insisted on telling them.

On an emotional level, one of the things that really struck me is how alone a lot of men feel when it comes to talking about their penises. There are some issues they wouldn't want to discuss with the women in their lives because it is either embarrassing or just impractical (as the women, without penises, would honestly have no idea). However, with most of the men they know, discussing penis issues is difficult because of it might come off as unmanly.

This is certainly a place where I know I have an advantage. While there are women I might not be comfortable having a vagina (and assorted goodies) talk with, there are many others with whom I would discuss every aspect of it. I would see nothing shameful about asking questions or giving details. If someone wants to ask me questions about it, I would do my best to answer them. I certainly would give every little detail about hysterectomies, because there are a lot of things where it helps if you just know the hell of it in advance.

Anyway, I hope articles like this are a sign of things to come for men. Accepting our bodies (and the bodies of others) as a normal part of our human experience can only lead to a better understanding of ourselves (and others) as people. It's okay to feel weird and awkward about our bodies. That kind of vulnerability makes us more charming.