Tuesday, October 23, 2007

A Weekend and an Observation

This entry starts with no title, in hopes that it will come to me as I compose this. I really have no solid topic. The inspiration probably comes from a few things I have seen in the last few days that made me giggle a little to myself. I do hope this does not sound rant-ish.

It is interesting, 'it' being defined as an event or a multitude of events with a singular or pairing of connections, that the amount of touch a person may desire is, whether it is for lust or simply to, for lack of subtlety, to mark their territory. I have read enough books, seen enough movies, television shows, and real life experiences , to be facetious enough, to be able to reflect on the interactions of two people with a degree of confidence, maybe.

What I saw recently, and made me giggle a little, has to do with what I wrote about in the previous paragraph. When someone owns something, and desires that ownership to known, they often indicate this by touch or holding, or something along those lines. For example, a child who happens upon some sort of sweet and discovered with it will often clutch it to themselves and declare 'Mine!', to indicate ownership. Of course when it comes to people, it does not quite work that way.

Someone won't go up to their amour or sweetheart and grab, declaring 'Mine!' (unless it is an over dramatized scuffle between two girls and one guy, whom they both like). It is less dramatized, but not necessarily subtle. When a guy, who is interested in a girl, sees another guy who he perceives to have a similar interest in that very girl, he will often show the other guy, by 'marking his territory'. No, he does not pee on the girl, that is disgusting. It is shown by touching.

The touching will often come in the forms of a playful shove on the shoulder, a hand on the small of the back to lead the girl in a certain direction, or simply standing close. The touching may even extend to an excuse to hold the girl, such as throwing over the shoulder, or simply picking up, to tease or chide. In small amounts, this is normal, but when done in rapid succession, it indicates his particular interest in the girl, it may even be considered flirting. Call it what you will, but it is also done to show the other guy (or guys) that this girl is his, exerting his dominance.

When sufficient attention of touching has been shown, and the girl has not completely shied away from this attention, he will feel like he has 'marked' his territory and will be confident to let her leave his presence, confident that nothing will happen. Of course this confidence is boosted when the other guy, the rival, does nothing and makes no move to touch, hold, or initiate any other physical contact with the girl.

I think I was considered the rival, perhaps, but whether that was true or not, I saw what I saw, and it amused me.

This sums up my short entry, and I have not come up with a title for this blog.

Update:

I was talking with a friend and she asked if guys really have that sort of mindset, being 'territorial' so to speak. I think it is (since I wrote about it), though I have seen it in a more confrontational mode and some would akin it to the jealousy mindset, but I do not think it is as severe as jealousy. If it were that bad, then you would have something as extreme as the Axe commercial, where one girl sprays a male mannequin and another girl walks up to it seductively and the first girl pushes her back shouting "Get away from my man!", except the genders would be reversed (think 'Get away from my woman' ... of course then you get into the whole problem women not wanting to be seen as objects to own... but that topic will be left for another day).

Ciao,
-K