I presented on seniors' safer sex tips on September 9th at the York West Open House.There were about 60 people sitting in the audience and milling about. It was alot of fun! I love doing what I do. Where else can you talk about sex and condoms and lubricants and make bawdy quips? It's a pretty enjoyable and liberating way to get people's attention focused on the facts of safer sex.
The audience enjoyed the frank discussion on sexuality. For the added oomph, I pulled out the bananas and persuaded the participants to give it a try. Guffaws, jokes, red faces.....no one returned my half dozen bananas by the way! As long as they go to a good home and provide fun memories for the rest of their shelf life--I'm happy.
I also had a table with condoms and lubricants for passers by. The interesting thing is that these passers by fell into two distinct groups: 1) those who picked them up, realizing they were condoms and quickly threw them back in the basket as if their hands were burned by fire, and 2) those who picked them up, realized they were condoms, picked up a couple more and put them in the bag.
One woman stopped at my table, smiled, and held her bag open at the edge of the table very discreetly. I slipped some condoms into her bag so no one could see.
I had an interesting, telltale exchange with one older woman:
Woman: What are these?
Me: Condoms. Have a couple.
Woman: Oh I don't need them, I have a boyfriend.
Me: So! Take a few
Woman: He doesn't need them... He's 86.
Me: So.....take some!
I enjoyed meeting the clients and exhibitors at the event. My thanks to the staff at York West Active Living Centre for inviting me to partipate in their open house.
2 comments:
I love this post! I would have enjoyed being there with you. Thank you for educating our age group that condoms do, indeed, go with our dating lives.
Your anecdotes remind me of a book fair where I was selling/ signing Better Than I Ever Expected: Straight Talk about Sex after Sixty. One man, maybe 75 years old, asked me, "What's the worst that can happen if I buy this for my wife?"
I leaned in close to him and said, "She'll keep you up all night."
He bought the book!
Great blog post Michele, and great work you are doing in the community! No doubt that with your wit, knowledge, and passion for this subject, these seminars you hold are nothing short of enlightening to your audiences.
Eric B.
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