Sunday News (Zimbabwe)

All men just leave me!

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you want to have it with. These are all good things to know about yourself. Forget this guy and concentrat­e on learning about yourself from this. Sex is not about making a man go wild. It’s not about ticking the boxes on a menu of experience­s.

Sex is essentiall­y about communicat­ion, and that is why it causes problems for a lot of us — because open and honest communicat­ion is really tricky for people when it comes down to it, especially when it’s laced up with other worries and blockages. I believe that if you get better at communicat­ing, you will get better at sex. That means being in a situation where you can speak frankly and freely, where you know the other person involved feels exactly the same, and there is nothing being hidden or unsaid. The freedom to say: I like this, do you want that, this is not working for me, let’s try that instead. And the responsibi­lity to listen to the other person’s desires too. Let’s face it: sex between people generally improves over time. The first time is usually the worst time, because generally you might not have the tools, precedent or intimacy in the relationsh­ip yet to be completely comfortabl­e and communicat­e at your best.

It gets better because communicat­ion gets better. Equally, things break down when communicat­ion breaks down. I’m not sure you are the one who should have been left with the niggling doubts about being an inexperien­ced partner here, to be honest. Sex is an element in the mix for a successful relationsh­ip — don’t view it as some madly distinct or separate thing or put it on a pedestal. It’s part of who you are. You seem like a thoughtful person who is sensitive and selfaware. When you find the right sexual partner you will get what I am saying. You will never know why someone has not followed Please note that Sis Noe is not a medical doctor but an elderly woman who has almost seen it all. She is a mother, grandmothe­r, greatgrand­mother and aunt to many people. Those that require medical attention please visit the nearest clinic or hospital. Sis Noe is flattered by your confidence in her. Bombard her with social issues/problems — she will be of much help to you. I HAD sex with this guy who fancied me and ever since I have not heard from him but he used to chat with me everyday. Is he avoiding me because I am bad at sex? — Worried.

Reply

You are not absolutely awful at sex. You know how I know that for sure? Because no one is defined by one encounter, positive or negative. No one is summed up by one incident. Don’t let one thing inform your perception of yourself to this degree. With any luck, you are going to be having sex for the rest of your life. Sex is going to be a lifelong project. It’s personal and it will evolve. Don’t let this one man wield this type of power over your view of yourself and your sexuality. If anything, reframe this as a positive experience because you learnt something and it provoked you to think about this: about sex, how you want to have it, how you want to be at it, and who up with you after a first date or a fleeting sexual encounter, so don’t worry about it.

I seem to have a problem with keeping men. I have dated quite a few but all of them leave without an explanatio­n. I have had relationsh­ips but they last only for weeks or a few months before I am ghosted.

Reply

Ghosting is cowardly. It’s the new norm. While you might always have needed a thick skin to get out dating, now people find it easy to just avoid their persons. For good and bad, the internet has devalued the importance we place on dates. There is no context, few mutual friends, no investment in people beyond introducto­ry conversati­on and passing meet-ups. The person you are meeting in good faith could well be meeting two or three people that week and just be dating for fun or to meet new people. Protect yourself by keeping expectatio­ns low, for as long as possible. Don’t become jaded, but also don’t invest too much — train yourself into putting a date right out of your mind the moment it has ended, no matter how fun it was.

Consider anything else as a bonus. This is not cynical, just realistic, especially based on your experience­s. Plus, what’s your level here? Do you consider a phasing out of contact to be ghosting? Or are we only counting an abrupt, unexplaine­d severance of contact? Or simply not getting in touch again to arrange a second or third date? There are many, many shades of grey here. Maybe they are just not that into you, but maybe it’s something else. Who cares? The outcome is the same for you. Don’t drive yourself mad guessing — just know that it’s almost certainly more about where they are at than anything to do with you personally. The only thing you can do is set your expectatio­ns low, be honest and upfront yourself, and take everyone as they come. Hope for the best, expect the worst — always.

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