Problems Formerly Spoken in Whispers
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By: Elizabeth Cowan
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It was a surprise to hear that Dr. Ruth Westheimer passed away this month.
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Are you wondering why this lady felt that way?
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Sometimes, people we become familiar with (usually because they achieve celebrity status for one reason or another) to the point that their existence becomes one of the threads in our lives. Then, they fade into the background until we assume they have passed on to a parallel universe.
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However, when they do pass, in her case at 96, our first thought is, “I thought they passed years ago.” But just because they no longer pranced in the limelight does not necessarily mean they have gone beyond the veil.
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It is embarrassing to admit that, in many cases, out of sight is out of mind. Sadly, that was this lady’s reaction upon hearing that Richard Simmons passed. She recalls her mother exercising with “Jumping Jack” Richard. He was one hyper fellow.
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But then, we are such fickle creatures with the attention span of gnats.
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Consider this: once you retire and unless you keep in touch, you cease to exist for many people. As a result, when you step beyond the veil, the people who were part of your work life will likely say, “I thought she was gone years ago.” Ouch. But, as we already stated, out of sight, out of mind.
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Anyhow, Dr. Ruth reached celebrity status as a sex therapist. That nearly munchkin-sized woman wrote several books on sex and had television and radio shows as well. Imagine people calling in about their most intimate issues on national radio. That takes hutzpah or nerve to do so.
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Even though she no longer had a show on the air, she continued her work as a sex therapist until she passed. Imagine discussing your sexually related problems with your grandma.
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This lady recalls catching her radio program one day while getting ready for work. Dr. Ruth talked about Retarded or Delayed Ejaculation. That comment caught the attention of her writing side, resulting in the novel The Marathon Man by Liz Cowan.
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Dr. Ruth saw the need for sex education and a more open attitude regarding sexual topics. She was quoted as saying, “We don’t have the luxury to not talk about sex.” She was correct when considering all the whoops: pregnancies, teenage years, and older.
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Unfortunately, even seasoned citizens who grew up in the more Puritanically-minded times are clueless. Exhibit A shows the abundance of sexually transmitted diseases among the retired folk. Accidental pregnancies are not the only bogeymen found doing the horizontal mambo.
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This lady believes Dr. Ruth was instrumental in squashing the more Puritanical mindset in this country. And between us, one cannot help but wonder how the Puritans managed to procreate being the tight-asses they proclaimed to be.?
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It is also probably thanks to Dr. Ruth’s legacy that commercials for elevating drugs like Cialis or Viagra can be aired. Suddenly, what was only spoken about in hushed conversations was out in the open.
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Consequently, discussions about ED (erectile dysfunction) are as common as sanitary napkins and female-related commercials.
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Of course, when the HIV epidemic hit the news media, the whispers turned into a roar.
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So now, commercials promising cures for ED have become so commonplace that companies that have nothing to do with sexual dysfunction offer tongue-in-cheek commercials.
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One such commercial popped up on local radio the other day. The company offers HVAC services. However, it takes a while for the listener to figure out what they are hearing.
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The script talks about folks who suffer from CD (comfort dysfunction). Of course, the cure is calling the company. They promise to even out the comfort level in your home.
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If you are like this lady, we tend to listen with half an ear to commercials. Until we realize the sarcasm behind the double entendres flowing from our radio speakers.
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Yes, it has long been established that slow uptake is an affliction suffered by the clueless.
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Unfortunately, this lady is a longstanding card-carrying member of that group.
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#1013
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A great gift for any occasion:
Fractured Proverbs and Twisted Thoughts ????????????????????????????
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