Thursday, May 01, 2008

Love, Like War...

The major, but vital, contribution of Londoners was their refusal to let their moral be broken by the relentless bombings. And then, one day in May 1941, the Germans took their firepower elsewhere.

It seems the major, but vital, contribution of men to the war of attrition that takes place between the ages of thirteen and about thirty-five, if you're lucky, is our refusal to let our morale be broken. Cheese-eating surrender monkeys would open a packet of char-grilled steak-flavored peanuts, crawl under our sports-themed duvet covers, and stay there until we were certain that the last sparks of sexuality had withered and died. We didn't do that, mostly because we were too stupid. We ignored the air-raid wardens and ran up and down the streets waving torches.

Nick Hornby, Things I've Learned From The Women Who've Dumped Me

(if anyone is wondering, this collection of essays seems to prove out that men learn nothing from the women who dump them. Furthermore, the post title says 'love' but most of the essays are not about any emotion that complex. Instead, there is a strong theme of proving out manliness by 'getting some' of whatever it is the writer thinks he deserves or hopes to get. While there were some hilarious moments, it was all in all, fairly depressing. And would probably be the same if it were essays by the fairer gender on the men who dumped them.)

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