Them That Know Don't Tell And Them That Tell Don't Know...

If, indeed, "Discretion is the better part of Valor", then valor must be an endangered species because discretion seems to have died out around 1999.  The other evening, I had the t.v. on in the background whilst preparing dinner and some "experts" were talking about Paris Hilton.  One of them said, "How can Paris Hilton rehabilitate her image?" and without thinking, I shouted back, "By putting on some panties and getting into a decent university!"  Nothing will give you a dicey reputation or cause people to stop taking you seriously than flashing your unmentionable regions whilst exiting a luxury sedan.  Acting like a horse's hindquarters doesn't pay.  At some point a girl just has to put down the Jack Daniels and controlled substances, put on a pair of Fruit of the Looms and crack open a book.  Personally, I would recommend A Tale of Two Cities or Vanity Fair (by Thackery, not Conde Nast).

I had a bit of a back-and-forth with a favorite cousin last week, concerning the subject of discretion.  It was prompted by one friend's tendency to go into great detail the morning after a hot date and an acquaintance's love for talking and tweeting about her private life with her husband.  I was lamenting this general laxity of society, where people air filthy laundry and kiss (or in some instances copulate) and tell.  So many souls cannot and will not keep their mouths shut anymore.  This dear relative agreed/commiserated with me and went on to say that she found discretion to be most appealing.  She's right.  What is sexier than mystery?  What is sexier than a spring in the step and a twinkle in the eye?  Secrets can be very, very alluring.  Unfortunately, the world does not seem to respect privacy or appreciate any mystery, particularly in humans.  Just because we enjoy great advancements in technology, medicine, communication, etc., doesn't mean everything has to be out in the open.  What happened to the men and women of great mystery and allure?  The Greta Garbos and the Audrey Hepburns?  We need Bogey and Bacall back!  Why does a person have to put their carnality out there?  Why does the world need displays of celebrity sexuality?  And don't tell me it's to sell papers and magazines and to get the box office up, because it's a shoddy excuse.  Personally, I think people sell themselves out and betray their lovers when they kiss, etc., and tell.  Shouldn't a good time be kept between the people having it?  Let people wonder why eyes are twinkling and steps are springy.

And privacy is way too lax.  It's frightening enough that identities are stolen and personal info hacked into and used against us,  but what's even scarier is how so many of us give our privacy away.  I am a dreadfully private person, and don't let this blog or my Twitter page fool you.  There's plenty I don't say and even more that I don't reveal.  The only person in my life who knows that I even have this blog is my dear cousin mentioned in the above paragraph.  And while this is a blog about making my life more exciting and rewarding, and while I am cooking up a few good plans,  I won't tell everything.  Our hearts and minds are our treasure chests and our secrets are our crown jewels.  It's time to put the locks back on them.