Disputation Rules.

Paulinemouse always hold a NYE party on the first Saturday after it. Many Christians. Normally it takes me more than a bottle of wine to be scintillating but only two glasses with Christians. They do have a tendency to hold back. It’s a meek and mild thing. And the Anglo Greek element adds spice. It’s clear that where Greeks indulge in and enjoy an overt dispute we English approach them more covertly. Our weapons are concealed, indignation, disdain, the moral levers and emotional pulleys of offensiveness and being offended. To a Greek this is just not playing the game. They are Olympians and we are slippery oiled pigmies. Just such a dispute arose between Greek Lukemouse and a vegan feminist regarding the misogyny of the Greek inheritance system. Lukemouse entered the ring a dogged muscular wrestler, the woman a delightful faultless fairy, a contest of such dissimilarity that no joy or winner could ever form the outcome. Lukemouse tried to explain that ‘what is- is in Greek society’, that what has been carved in stone by countless generations is not open to personal bendiness. The woman having seen countless Disney princesses and clutching an imaginary wand, suggested that change required nothing more than a mere twinkle from its tip. Lukemouse explained the practical necessity of patriarchy when it comes to the fragmentation of poor farming land. The woman explained that patriarchy was the scourge of mankind and the impoverishing slavery of womankind. Lukemouse countered that in patriarchy it is beholden of men to look after women. The woman gave short shrift to this particular fairy tale. Right was clearly on both sides by this time like chaplains ministering to both armies. The woman left indignant and offended and I didn’t help matters by saying, “Shame, I was enjoying that”, to which I got an ironic, “Well that’s good isn’t it.”  I guess both won by their own version of the rules but it kind of showed how different our rules can be.