notches

I recently read a newspaper report that, after exhaustive studies interviewing thousands of subjects, researchers have compiled 237 reasons why people have sex. I read the top ten, scanned a few more, & was surprised to discover something missing.

I remember well, during my frequent visits to swinging London in the 70’s, the most popular reason why people had sex was to add notches to their belt; the more the merrier. After the birth-control pill became freely available, everyone I knew, & many I didn’t, went at it like there was no tomorrow without giving a second thought to unwanted pregnancy or disease. It was like living in the Garden of Eden all over again.

I recall observing people meeting at parties &, within minutes, looking for a closet or an upstairs bedroom, or dark corner to get down to it; standing, sitting, lying down, in pairs, in groups. It was how people said hello in those days; and it was a numbers game. Of course this behavior is surely still going on now, but evidently it’s not one of the top reasons.

The article did not mention the fact that the research tells us nothing about human nature, only about current ideas & practices. People nowadays, if we’re to believe the report, are more interested in getting & giving affection, which was the last thing on the minds of those maniacs humping away on the carpet behind the sofa.

It was about adding feathers in ones cap, the experience; often anonymous, most of the time never to be repeated. “Hello, I love you,” was the theme of one of London’s hip, swingers, Jim Haynes, who went around the world fucking everyone he met.

It must mean things have changed. And if they have they’ll change again. I wonder what’s coming next?

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