I read a little of "Women and Power" by the British scholar of ancient Rome, Mary Beard. She recounted the part of the Odyssey where Penelope, the wife of Odyseus, is told by her son to return to her private quarters and let the men talk without women. She does. Beard thinks it is silly for a mature, experienced woman to allow a green youth to shut her up. A sharp woman I know says that her own upbringing, among strong women, taught her to make her voice heard, whether she was spoken to or not.
Family Circus shows a mother limiting her son, who asks if she really means her statement. She says,"Yes". He talks to his father and says that Mommy said "Yes".
The Lockhorns are on the beach when some nubile beauties go by. The wife says to her husband "No, Leroy, it is stomach in and chest out" as she sees him try to look attractive.
Each of these create strong impulses in me to discuss, object, extend, explain. A mature woman can take one look or one listen to an assembly of men and tell if it is worth her while to offer countersuggestions. She may see that youth, pride and competition combine to close ears and minds to better approaches.
Once or twice, twisting the report may succeed but eventually Mommy and Daddy are going to get wise to truth-twisting, self-serving modifications and other language dishonesty.
As we age, it becomes more difficult and less profitable to be attractive. No point in looking repulsive and we may actually forget what turns others on. One of the main limitations is the fact that there is only one of each of us so there isn't enough of us to offer to more than one person.
