Sex and the Taotaomo'na

by norbert perez

The ancient people of Guahan a.k.a. Taotaomo'na or people from before were a colorful and vibrant lot. They led a difficult and tumultuous lifestyle yet celebrated their daily existence with a bang. Sex for the ancient ones was a culmination of the day's rigorous trials and adventures. Most importantly, it was the highlight of their activities and served to provide a rational story line to their royal existence.

As the magical sun sets in the Western Hemisphere, the Taotaomo'na would gather at the shorelines in preparation for the evening's events. Family clans would either celebrate individually or with other clans, depending on the wishes of the participants. The Maga'håga' or matriarchs controlled the planning and activities for the lavish affairs.

Usually, it was the children or 'famagu'on' and the elders or 'manAmko' who set the tone for the nightly vigil. Their songs, their chants and their playful exuberance become the springboard for all activities. One could hear the 'kulo' moaning and humming from afar; one could witness the 'tat-tats' and the 'boom-booms' from the wooden drums cascading the sounds of laughter and merriment. The chirping musicals emanating from the 'ko'ko', the 'chichirika', the 'sali' and the 'tottot' who, themselves are pronouncing the celebration of their day.

Each and every clan would begin with a huge bonfire at the center of their family plot. Old men would sit around the fire telling stories, legends and myths; some would sing songs and recite chants of days long gone; some would beat sticks upon sticks, rocks upon rocks, palms upon dried gourds, and slaps of the hands upon their bodies ...creatively making music.

The women would then proceed with their style of body dancing. The children around them would emulate their seductive gestures; while the clan, as a whole would sound out cries of encouragement. The tempo of the dance would parallel the drumbeats, the kulo', the moans and the screams of approval. The cycle of ups and downs....  go on and on and on...

As the night progresses, the fama'gu'on and the manÅmko' would yawn and fade away into their homes.

The young women and the young men would step up the tempo of the dances to a magical frenzy. The drumbeats would follow the gyrations of the hips and bodies. For the women and men, this is the time to get serious with the dancing and the foreplay. Dancing is the normal way of introduction and attraction. The men would go to extremes to woo an eligible Palåo'an or partner. It is always the female though that makes the final choice. In the end, she would signal her new found partner that she was ready and they would slowly fade off into the night; off to some secluded area on the beach where they would have sex and sex and more sex until the roosting of the wildlife that a new dawn was at hand.

Fast-forward to the PRESENT.

Western culture has destroyed our Chamori value system especially with respect to sex. Our ancestors viewed their bodies as beautiful, holy and sacred. This is probably why they did not subscribed to Tattoos or any form of body art because it mask the natural essence of our being.

The modern core of belief exploits and perpetuates the animal instincts in man to lust for sex. The ancient ones enjoyed the conjugal act but certainly on its own terms and time. There is a simple belief that modern man thinks of sex every 11 minutes. While our ancestors probably did think of sex, they did so most certainly at the appropriate occasion and time line. Whereas men today appear to be at a constant state of 'sexual high'. Our ManÅmko' tell us that regulation and self-control bring more vitality and heightened pleasure to the deed. And you wonder why the pornography business is booming?

What is very sad is the loss of respect and morality in our society. Domestic violence is at an all-time high, worldwide. This pervasive animal instinct and culture for sex is destroying us because we cannot seem to control ourselves, emotionally.

Have you ever witness a pack of wild dogs having sex? It is so wild and so fierce that it sometimes gets ugly. Put humans into this prism and quantify the rage and the violence.

It has been said that humans have the capacity to reason and think. That we can and should be responsible for our own actions. More and more however, we are witnessing that we cannot reason and we always never think. "thinking with the wrong head?" as a woman would say. We seem to muse ourselves into believing that we cannot be responsible for our own actions because we cannot control our lusts and emotions. Pray tell then, Who is to blame for your rage and your violence? Should society be held accountable for allowing this climate of sexual freedom and perversion?

At the other end of the spectrum, we see women and girls everyday walking around with dresses too tight and way too short. They spend 90 percent of their time adjusting their dresses to cover-up. Who are they trying to fool? They dress that way purposely to attract attention. Period. Or am I wrong?