Older Woman, Younger ManWritten by Kay Kopit
Older Woman Younger Man By Kay Kopit My husband and I have been happily married for 17 years. What makes our relationship unique is that Bryan was born in 1960 year after I graduated high school. He is 19 years my junior; I am older than his mother. The secret of our success is a deeply committed love for one another. Ours is a passionate romance. Each of us is whole, happy and healthy. Bryan and I have a love that keeps my spirit young. I am sharing our story to give older women hope that they too can find peace and love with a younger man. We met in 1985 during a rainy winter in San Francisco. We were neighbors on a tiny street near historic Mission Dolores. The worst storm of season was on its way and my roof was leaking profusely. I was in dire straits financially, having been newly divorced. I was preparing to fix it myself. Unfortunately my ladder wasn’t tall enough. I needed help. None of folks I knew were home that Saturday morning but I noticed an open door directly across from my house. I hurried upstairs to second story flat in azure painted duplex and walked down long corridor to living room. There on sofa was a guy watching football game on T.V. I introduced myself and then proceeded to ask for his assistance. He looked at me like I was crazy. The silence was deafening. How often does a stranger enter your apartment with a request for help with a major repair? I was flushed with embarrassment but was in too deep to recover. Fortunately he agreed to help me. This uncommon beginning signaled magic that lay before us. The sparks flew. We went on our first date within days of this meeting. Bryan’s car was broken so we took bus across city to an authentic Moroccan restaurant where we sat on paisley cushions and ate with our fingers. I remember clearly how primitive this felt and how natural it was to be with him. He didn’t seem least bit concerned about my age. I, on other hand, was more sensitive. I was healing from a codependent relationship of 12 years and had never experienced true intimacy. I wasn’t sure it was proper thing to do but I couldn’t help myself; I was falling in love. I was scared because these feelings were coming so quickly. Bryan moved in with me within weeks of our first meeting. I remember thinking if it didn’t work out it would be easy to ask him to leave because all he owned was a T.V. For Valentine’s Day he created a hanging wire mobile in shape of intertwined hearts and presented it to me with flowers and chocolate. (2) This type of thoughtful gesture is typical of Bryan. He has never missed a special occasion and has often surprised me with jewelry when he returns from a business trip. One evening in spring we were waiting to board a dinner train in Mendocino. A drunken man approached us and said, “How come you two are dressed up? Are you getting married?” Bryan looked at me and said, “Yes, we are aren’t we?” That was his proposal. It was decided we would plan a wedding for later that year. But, first I needed to meet Bryan’s mother. Just thought of it terrified me! Bryan and his mother, Sharon, have a truly special bond. He insisted he would not tell anyone about our engagement until she and I met. We drove to southern California where Sharon was visiting her sister, Bryan’s aunt. I felt sick entire trip. I knew in advance he was going to take his mother shopping next morning alone to break news to her. I couldn’t sleep at all that night. What felt so “right” to Bryan and me was unusual, especially in eyes of a parent. When they returned from their excursion Sharon looked like she had just come from a funeral. Fortunately, for me, Aunt Toby accepted situation and eased tension by giving me a white angel ornament. His mother is a wonderful woman. In spite of her disappointment, she welcomed me into their family. Over years our relationship has evolved into a unique friendship, a cross between a peer and a sister.
| | Greek goddess AthenaWritten by Judi Singleton
Greek goddess Athena (A-theen-uh) later called Minerva by Romans, was goddess of wisdom, battle, and certain crafts, and was protector of concept of cities. The olive tree was sacred to her, and her sacred bird was owl (which is why wisdom is associated with owls). Poseidon, god of Sea, and Athena were in competition to become patron of a new city. Poseidon, as a bribe, gave first horses to people, but Athena struck ground with a rod and up sprang first olive tree, olives became an agricultural staple for Greeks. She was chosen as patron goddess of city which was called Athens, in her honor.Athena was born from head of Zeus, chief Olympian god. Zeus had a headache which was growing worse and worse until he finally had craftsman god, Hephaestus, split his head open with an axe, and out sprang Athena, fully grown and in full armor. This sounds like a rather silly myth, but symbolically this shows goddess of wisdom coming from head of chief god. Some of more practical Greeks decided that Zeus had swallowed his first wife Metis (a Titan goddess of wisdom) and she had given birth to Athena within Zeus. Athena then moved to Zeus's head in order to make her grand entrance. Her name is also spelled Athene. She is identified often in mythology as grey-eyed or flashing-eyed Athena, and is sometimes called Pallas Athena because she accidentally killed Pallas, a daughter of sea god, Triton. Another explanation for name, Pallas Athena, is that she took name when she killed giant, Pallas, during battle between Gigantes and Olympians. She is identified as Athena Nike and is usually depicted with wings when she is goddess of victorious battle. She is also called Athena Parthenos, to honor her virtue. Parthenos means virgin.
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