Polyamory
Someone asked: "Which of us polyfolk are ready to take those risks?"
And Edward responded:
We all are already. We take a risk every single time one of us is faced with a point of difference between our world and what the other members of our environment experience.
Whenever someone says "Oh, I met your wife yesterday, at the grocery store,"we hesitate, about to ask "which one" where others might not.
Whenever the office gadabout comes by with the Christmas Cocktail Party signup sheet, asking "How many tickets do you want?" we actually count to a number higher than 2, and in less pleasant times, find ourselves excusing the affair because we don't want to be forced to make a choice.
Whenever we pick our kids up from the bus stop and endure the driver's momentary glance of suspicion, we realize that other parents are well known because there's only one.
Whenever our co-workers gossip, we wonder if we're the hot topic in our absence.
When rarely-visiting relatives come through town and ask to stay the night, we're the ones who freak just a little, wondering what and if to say anything and how we're going to act.
Whenever we overhear someone speak of their wife or husband as "property", owned free and clear by them, we're the ones who sometimes struggle with the decision about saying something.
Every act we perform, every possible interaction with another person leaves a taste in that person's mouth and what we do represents us, more than any media representation or episode of Geraldo. Noel's written it before and I agree: "Be a credit to your kink." Be the kind of a person you wish people would think of when they think of folks who have more than one partner. Be a good neighbor. Be a good friend. Be gracious and courteous and kind. Be firm and just. Be decent. Push your ideals higher than you think is possible to reach, because your struggle is against a greater tide than most. Then, reach higher than most. Higher than that.
exposed monkey,
Edward