On My Knees, Looking for the Answer...

I read a book by Anne Morrow Lindbergh called Gift from the Sea. She was the widow of pioneering aviator Charles Lindbergh and was herself a pioneer in both aviation and civil rights, particularly women's rights.

The book itself started off boring as hell, but eventually picked up decently. It's a very feministic book, and I was required more than once to get in touch with my sensitive side in order to keep up, or just to care, really.

The book has many valid observations, but the main image that struck a chord within me was Lindbergh's analysis of relationships. She says a good relationship is like a dance, both partners moving in the same rhythm. They don't always have to be touching each other, or even directly in contact all the time, because in the end, they're moving to the same beat. The problem people have with relationships is that they want to be loved all the time, forever, constantly. But in a good dance routine, you're not always moving the same way. You have to be allowed to make your own movements without following the exact steps of your partner. You have to maintain, somehow, your individuality while keeping in sync with your partner.

Only then can your relationship be full and realized.

The analogy is limited, but I think she has a very valid point. We always have demands and desires for our partners, but while the dance is the same, the steps themselves should never be.

It reminds of The Killers' song "Human", where they ask, "Are we human? Or are we dancers?"

The answer is that humans ARE dancers. Relationships are beautiful things, but sometimes they take years of practice to master.

Also, the lyrics are NOT "Are we human? Or are we dancers?" as everyone believes. By everyone, I mean to say that I thought those were the lyrics.

It's actually, "Are we human? Or are we denser?" So yeah, the song has nothing to do with the dancing analogy...

Damn it. It's 5AM.

EDIT: Apparently, according to Jen, The Killers' song lyric IS in fact "dancers", so I'm not sure what to make of it. Eric claims they have no artistic or literary merit, and it's blasphemous to say so, but now...I'm just so confused.