Sex and Intimacy

One of my textbooks talks about something that really rings true for me, so I thought I would share it. That is, the difference between sex and erotic love, two things which seem to get very tangled in modern society in my experience. Now I will start by saying flat out: yes, I am a virgin, and no, I don't think there is anything wrong with that. For me, the idea of sleeping with someone is an act of intense intimacy, an opening up and exposing the vulnerability of oneself to someone whom you feel exceptionally close to. Sex - the act itself - consists purely with physical gratification. Now I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with that - everyone has bodily needs to attend to, it's just part of being human. My problem is that people seem to interpose the two; if they want that intense feeling of connection to another person they think that they can achieve it with plain sex, but it doesn't work that way. Real, genuine intimacy takes time and patience, as well as a commitment to one another. Sex only satiates the physical need, not the emotional one, so using sex as a way to try and reach that intimacy never works. Unfortunately, too many people seem to think that it does and end up disappointed. Maybe if people looked at sleeping together less as "having a good time" and more as "making love" it would hold more meaning for them. Anyway, that's just what I think.