The Airplane Ride, Tango and Sex

"Flying an airplane, tango and sex all have two essential elements: The take off and the landing. The ride in the middle should be enjoyable and not too bumpy, but taking off and landing are essential."  The Unknown Tango Theologian from Salado's exegesis of the Song of Solomon

I wrote the above sentences on Facebook from an inspiration to Mari's Blog a few weeks ago (see links on the left).  It was an attempt at humor.  But the idea of the take off and land really has changed the way I start my tango.  I am more prone to put on my safety belt (settle into the embrace) and see if my partner has her belt on too. If she is already putting on the drop-down oxygen bag, I have two options to consider: (1) Loosen up on my embrace a bit; (2) taxi back to the start of the runway and find some breath mints.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please take out the card from the back of your seat pocket, and read along.

The analogy now is the take off in a plane / the start of a tango / and foreplay.  I pilot my plane early.  I start to taxi on dance floor as other pilots are stalled talking to the tanguera who is about to board. So making the embrace secure can take more time without causing a crash into other pilots who are placticando.

The musician in me makes it hard for me to talk while the music is playing; so I am not much good at small talk after the music starts. Music distracts me and rebounds around in my cerebellum, impelling me to get moving, not talking. So I really have to think about making sure my partner is ready to move with me.

Loreen, a San Antonio tanguera, told me yesterday, "Do you realize that you are dancing before we even get on the floor?" I hadn't really thought about it. That's not my cabeceo, that is my head bobbing around as I am walking towards you to ask if you will go with me on a make-belief trip to Buenos Aires. I don't fly a plane in real life, but I am pilot actor on the dance floor.

"In a few moments the pilot will take of the seat belt sign":
On the other hand, I am not an actor with love making; I hope the same for you.  Fortunately, I had a great first coach (my first girlfriend) in the "take off" phase of love making (close embrace, I might add). Foreplay is a better analogy for a tango start than a plane take-off. A take off in a plane is not as difficult as a landing. BUT foreplay and a good tango start are indeed essential for everything else that follows.

"Ladies and Gents, put your seats and tray tables in the upright position. We are about to aterrizar"....

About the landing... tomorrow!