Dear Ms Dodson,

I have two of your books. Sex for One and Orgasm's for Two. I am a man probably near your age. I must say you are a remarkable woman. I mean your attitude toward your body. I heartily admire you and the success you have made of your life in getting your work accepted.

There are a couple of points I would like to mention. I'll bet you will say, "I've heard it all before." One, I looked long and hard at your picture on the book jacket. Why not include a picture of your genitals in the book? You are a very lovely woman. It would have made a great addition.

Two, I have been widowed for six years now. Married for 44. I will say I had several women over the years. I thought that no one ever enjoyed sex more than I have. However, I never understood what the meaning of the word love was until after my wife died.

I met this woman who is I suppose quite ordinary. She has something I am not sure what. She turned me on like nothing ever did before, or since. She almost blew my main fuse. It is more than sex. So what is this strange thing? Is this what love is about? I loved my wife. But she never affected me in such a way. She left me and I nearly died.

Then another girl took me over. I thought about the other woman. But sex was great with this girl. Now she has terminal cancer. Poor dear girl! Do you see where I am coming from? I suppose you think I am merely a crazy old man. Perhaps I am.

I did enjoy your writing and the drawings were magnificent. I have really learned that woman is God's highest creation. Keep up the good work and enjoy your young man. Don't fall in love with him.

With 'love",
I.H.

Dear I.H., No you are not a crazy old man. You are pondering a very profound concept, what is this thing called love and where does sex fit in? Maybe it's a mystery that most of us will take to our graves. For me, realizing that there are many different kinds of love helped to further my understanding. The most sustainable love that I can be sure of is selflove, but then I can get disgusted with myself and stop speaking to me temporarily. When my mother died, I knew I'd lost the longest and most important love of my life. Losing old friends has a similar affect. The absence of a loved one hurts like hell, but it's not a reason not to love. One of the lessons that love has taught me is learning to stay in the moment and appreciating myself and all those that I love as much as possible. As for sexual love, I must admit I've fallen into it with my young man. But I know it's only good for as long as it lasts and nothing, absolutely nothing lasts forever. So love yourself to the end. Betty P.S. Regarding a picture of my genitals, I have gone public genitally in both Selfloving: Portrait of a Women's Sexuality Seminar and Viva la Vulva: Women's Sex Organs Revealed. You can get a special price by buying both from Betty's Sex Shop. By the way, I posed for some of my drawings in Orgasm's for Two and they look like me (for example bettydodson.com/ofortwotips.htm) minus a few pounds. Ah vanity.