I Swear I've Lived and Learned
I'm on an essay writing kick. Alternately titled Why Luther has 99 Problems But A Bitch Ain't One, this concerns Ziggy Stardust Luther at Bellum Letale.
Taking a look at Luther’s romantic history, one has to wonder why he’s so unsuccessful. He’s a man with good morals, is fairly good looking, and doesn’t ask for much beyond a lack of criminal behavior. At least, that’s how it seems. Like most things, his unexpected layers (Mr. I-Have-No-Depth-Thank-You-Very-Much) lead to this…failing on his part and like most of his failings, this can be traced to the parental figures in his life. Or more accurately, his lack of them.
Luther lived with his mother from when he was one to eight years old. The first year of his life was in a caregiver’s home while she appealed for parole. Those seven years though were far from a pleasant experience. Luther learned early on that the only person who’d wipe his tears was himself and that crying didn’t do much of anything - he grew serious early on and began to clean up after his mother’s messes at three. As a former drug addict and heavy alcoholic, she wasn’t a good mother and most of her time was spent working or pacifying her hungers. The police at his house were natural and he looked to the strong men of the department as his saviors and rescuers, aspiring to be like them.
As a child though, people often said things around him that they shouldn’t have. They made comments on how Peace was an unfit mother and an embarrassment - as they waited up for her to get brought back from the department, the conversation would turn derogatory towards women. At the time, there weren’t many women on the police force - Luther saw men as guiding figures and never had a strong attachment to any.
After getting his mother arrested and being taken in by the former officer Rodriguez, Luther was at least taught to respect women. Rodriguez was a second generation Mexican with a strong belief in Catholicism, the good of America, and treating women right. Rodriguez was in his late thirties when he took in Luther and wasn’t much for dating - no, he held open doors for women in church and was extremely polite, but didn’t interact much with them himself. This again distance Luther from ever having a strong attachment to a female teacher. School was difficult due to his name and his too-adult seriousness - he was no teacher pet as people thought and attention from female teachers tended to make him twitchy. A pat on the back from a PE instructor was more natural than a smile from his math teacher.
Time passed and Luther did manage to date some in high school. His history in those endeavors looks fairly normal now - two or three girls, he dated in varying degrees of seriousness. Each one broke up with him though - the first because she was “seeing” someone else, the second because she moved, and the third after Luther announced he wasn’t going to college but would join the police force. He put the general public (and as many viewed it) himself first - and often appeared selfish to those who didn’t understand the way his obsessions work. It’s forgivable - few do now.
Luther however has an unforgivable trait, which has developed over the years for no truly defined reason - if you don’t understand him, he tends to shut down and move on. People who question his efforts might be given an explanation at first, but more often than not, Luther finds himself shaking his head in disgust as he walks off. As 90% of his relationships have left with his girlfriend dumping him, he refuses to fight for them back. He takes it personally in most cases - even when it’s not about that - and forces himself to continue on and not look back. Does he regret it? More often than not, though he won’t admit it.
To sum it up - it boils down to three things. One - he’s never really understood women because until the very recent Joanie, he’s never had a continual, healthy relationship (of whatever degree) with one. Two - his stubbornness and devotion to the law is often mistaken for selfishness (which to an extent it is, as he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t, thus appeasing himself). Three - because frankly, Luther’s far too serious and thinks over things too much. People slip away as a result - he doesn’t fight for the women who leave him; he simply shuts down and unhealthily pushes on.
Taking a look at Luther’s romantic history, one has to wonder why he’s so unsuccessful. He’s a man with good morals, is fairly good looking, and doesn’t ask for much beyond a lack of criminal behavior. At least, that’s how it seems. Like most things, his unexpected layers (Mr. I-Have-No-Depth-Thank-You-Very-Much) lead to this…failing on his part and like most of his failings, this can be traced to the parental figures in his life. Or more accurately, his lack of them.
Luther lived with his mother from when he was one to eight years old. The first year of his life was in a caregiver’s home while she appealed for parole. Those seven years though were far from a pleasant experience. Luther learned early on that the only person who’d wipe his tears was himself and that crying didn’t do much of anything - he grew serious early on and began to clean up after his mother’s messes at three. As a former drug addict and heavy alcoholic, she wasn’t a good mother and most of her time was spent working or pacifying her hungers. The police at his house were natural and he looked to the strong men of the department as his saviors and rescuers, aspiring to be like them.
As a child though, people often said things around him that they shouldn’t have. They made comments on how Peace was an unfit mother and an embarrassment - as they waited up for her to get brought back from the department, the conversation would turn derogatory towards women. At the time, there weren’t many women on the police force - Luther saw men as guiding figures and never had a strong attachment to any.
After getting his mother arrested and being taken in by the former officer Rodriguez, Luther was at least taught to respect women. Rodriguez was a second generation Mexican with a strong belief in Catholicism, the good of America, and treating women right. Rodriguez was in his late thirties when he took in Luther and wasn’t much for dating - no, he held open doors for women in church and was extremely polite, but didn’t interact much with them himself. This again distance Luther from ever having a strong attachment to a female teacher. School was difficult due to his name and his too-adult seriousness - he was no teacher pet as people thought and attention from female teachers tended to make him twitchy. A pat on the back from a PE instructor was more natural than a smile from his math teacher.
Time passed and Luther did manage to date some in high school. His history in those endeavors looks fairly normal now - two or three girls, he dated in varying degrees of seriousness. Each one broke up with him though - the first because she was “seeing” someone else, the second because she moved, and the third after Luther announced he wasn’t going to college but would join the police force. He put the general public (and as many viewed it) himself first - and often appeared selfish to those who didn’t understand the way his obsessions work. It’s forgivable - few do now.
Luther however has an unforgivable trait, which has developed over the years for no truly defined reason - if you don’t understand him, he tends to shut down and move on. People who question his efforts might be given an explanation at first, but more often than not, Luther finds himself shaking his head in disgust as he walks off. As 90% of his relationships have left with his girlfriend dumping him, he refuses to fight for them back. He takes it personally in most cases - even when it’s not about that - and forces himself to continue on and not look back. Does he regret it? More often than not, though he won’t admit it.
To sum it up - it boils down to three things. One - he’s never really understood women because until the very recent Joanie, he’s never had a continual, healthy relationship (of whatever degree) with one. Two - his stubbornness and devotion to the law is often mistaken for selfishness (which to an extent it is, as he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t, thus appeasing himself). Three - because frankly, Luther’s far too serious and thinks over things too much. People slip away as a result - he doesn’t fight for the women who leave him; he simply shuts down and unhealthily pushes on.