Sex Scandals and Romance

I once read that people who have illicit affairs often look back on their affair partner with fond memories and a sense of romanticism even years after the affair has ended.

There's undoubtedly a grain of truth in this, but I wonder if individuals who suddenly become notorious when their affair with a public figure become public will look back years later and say, "Boy, that was the best sex of my life."

Somehow, I kind of doubt this little scenario. The glare of publicity can often create enemies out of lovers, as each participant in an affair attempts to distance him or herself from the other. This is especially so when one or both of the participants is a politician. And if the affair began as a romantic attachment rather a mere roll in the hay, the public figure is even more likely to disclaim his or her partner just to assure political survival.

These thoughts came to mind today after I read an on-line article about "San Francisco's Top 10 Sex Scandals."

Among others, the list included liaisons from as far back as the 1870's, but one from 1983 caught my attention. I vaguely remembered reading about it but had totally forgotten until today. In a nutshell, a man and a woman, both apparently employees of a club, decided to have a little after-hours sex. Not unusual, but they opted to hop on the top of a piano. Apparently, without conscious awareness, one or the other tripped a hydraulic lift, and as they rode their heavenly vehicle to Nirvana, the piano crushed the man against the ceiling, killing him and leaving his female partner somewhat the worse for wear. I would say that this incident proves men and women will rise to any height for romance.

More recently, the case of the Mayor of San Francisco shows that not even friendship can dampen a romantic attachment. The mayor engaged in an affair with the wife of his best friend, which probably isn't unusual. But in this case, the best friend was Newsom's deputy chief of staff and campaign manager, and the cuckold's wife was Newsom's appointments secretary. This case is filled with quirks, not the least of which is the attendance of all three at the same time at a sexual harassment training session. Many in San Francisco are convinced that this was a hot romance that was cut short because of Newsom's political ambitions. The story goes that Newsom would need a socially acceptable wife rather than his appointments secretary. Decide for yourself.

And in the matter of romance and sex scandals, can romance survive a public scandal? Maybe. Who knows.