September 20, 2009
“The Hollow Man”
The title of today’s offering
derives from a science fiction novella written by H.G. Wells in 1897 and
entitled the Invisible Man. The same novella was the foundation for
a fairly recent movie starring Kevin Bacon, and the photo above displaying
an empty suit could easily be from that movie. You may recall that
the story was of a scientist that made himself invisible. However,
having reminded you; I have no intention for this to become a movie review.
Instead this is a commentary
regarding the lack of substance so often manifested by far too many men
encountered on the Internet. To illustrate my premise I will
be referring to stereotypes and using generalizations and I am compelled
to offer a series of disclaimers in various locations throughout this treatise!
Positive exceptions aside,
which are rare as hens’ teeth; I make my negative assertion based on a
host of personal experiences. You see my encounters with the hollow
set are more frequent than I can count. Unfortunately, like other
women, I continue to fall prey to at least their initial contact.
To avoid falling into
the invariable trap I would need to throw out the hope that some good guy
might actually come along. That would mean that with each stirring
salutation accompanied by the concomitant cornucopia of convivial compliments
I need to deem every writer extremely suspect.
What is so distressing
after so many negative outcomes I should really know better! Someone,
somewhere once said, “trying to find true love in a bar (and on the Internet)
is like searching for a fish in the desert!” I keep forgetting
that!
Oh, I certainly remember
that axiom as I sit now composing this entry, and/or during the interminable
silent period that follows my announcement to another Mister Hollow Man
that I am not interested in sex outside of marriage and positively not
with someone that is currently married.
However, why do I not
remember that adage when I open that initial message filled with all the
sweet sounding superlatives? Is it my incurable optimism that gets
in the way as I am momentarily tricked into speculating that this may be
“Mister Right”. Perhaps my gullibly needy feminine ego prevents me
from suspecting the emergence of yet another “Hollow Man.”
Regardless, without exception
my memory lapses continue, and with each one that yet again proves the
point of this blog, a dark cloud of cynicism forms in my beloved sky of
optimistic blue. Insanity is oft described as doing the same
thing over and over again all the while hoping for different results.
By that measure then I am surely an insane woman.
Conversations with other
women would seem to confirm that only the seedy guys in the empty suits
are universally contacting each of us (more or less methodically) in their
predatory pursuits. It saddens me to think that our lot as women
inhabiting the social networks in a number of web locations is to always
be no better than prey to these shadowy invisible creatures.
My most disturbing discovery
is that that the majority of these hidden hunters are already encumbered,
in other words, married. That demographic begs the question of where
are all the wives during these Internet incursions. Poetic justice
forces me to hope that their wives are upstairs on their PC exchanging
electrons with some other empty suit.
How do we stop this?
I am not certain that we can. As long as one woman exists that amenably
agrees to a liaison with a casual web contact without so much as stating
several stringent standards, we will be in the crosshairs of these creeps.
Further for as long as
the rest of us persist in our hope that something positive will derive
from a cyber communiqué then our exposure to the Hollow Man will
continue to confound us.
Why can’t the hollow men
of the Internet simply and honestly seek a friendship? Don’t they
realize that each attempted seduction simply serves to support our swelling
suspicions? Doubtless I will continue to wish that some sweet,
suave, sexy yet sincere man actually occupying the suit would come along
to sweep me off my feet.
My Disclaimer:
“There are indeed many sincere, reputable, respectful, and decent men in
existence somewhere that use the Internet on a daily basis and those individuals
would be the definite exceptions to this treatise.”
