Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts
By Alyce Wilson
A little boy in the shoe store picked up a purse and started toddling off with it. His mother yelled at him, "No, that's for girls!"
"Some boys carry them," I said. She grabbed the purse out of his hand, put it back on the shelf and whipped him away from my dangerous influence.
It struck me as funny that her very first instinct, when seeing her child run off with something from the store shelf was not, "No, it's wrong to steal" or "Don't touch things that don't belong to you" but to make certain he knew his gender role. Apparently, it's far better to be a thief than effeminate.
It was also 86% certain that one of my male friends was female. Which could be why we're friends.
I was moderately surprised at the high level of certainty the test had, given that I consider myself to be an independent thinker and not a strict believer in gender roles. It's also true, though, that I would never want to be a boy because I couldn't wear skirts. Well, I could but I'd have to brush up on my karate first.
The test didn't ask questions like "Do you own more than two pairs of shoes" (although anyone knows that you have to have a variety of shoes to wear with different kinds of clothes; something that's obviously not a problem for those who have drawers full of jeans and T-shirts -- men). I've never been a girlie-girl, but I enjoy dressing up. I like purple, and I would rather drown than fall from a high building, which is one of the tests. Apparently, more men would prefer falling.
When I think about this test and what it reveals about me, maybe it's about right. I mean, I'm wearing my long purple butterfly batik tank dress with rainbow leggings, a pink batik shirt, gray hooded sweatshirt and crosstrainers. I guess this outfit is about 86% female, so that's about right.
My dog doesn't have to worry about things like gender roles. She does, however, have to worry about tick-borne illness.
I spent most of yesterday taking her to the vet and fretting over her. She had been listless, which at first I mistook for her typical gray day blues. But then I realized she wasn't eating, not even her wet food. And she was also limping slightly on her back leg. The biggest tip-off was when we lay down together to take a nap. I woke up a little later to discover that she'd wet the bed.
Una hasn't wet the bed since she was a puppy, so I knew there was a problem.
(I just ran into some kids who asked me if my dog wore long-johns and then made fun of me for wearing "tie-dyed socks." Yet another reminder of why I'm glad I'm not 14 again.)
I took Una to the vet, where we determined that, given her symptoms and the fact that I'd removed a tick from her a couple weeks ago, it was wise to give her a test for Lyme Disease. The preliminary results showed a tick-borne illness called erlicchia. Later results showed Lyme Disease. I picked up her prescription medication and got her started on it right away.
She already seems better, and has begun begging again, a good sign. She seems to have her energy back, although her leg is a little stiff at times. She even was pulling again when I took her for a walk.
I started yesterday giving her an over-the-counter joint supplement for dogs. It comes in the form of a chewable treat. All dog medicines should be prepared this way. Right now, she's getting spoiled, receiving her medication in hunks of cheese. So I guess it's just fine by her.
We're out walking, and she's sniffing everything, trying to make up for the smells she missed yesterday when she stayed in. I'm hopeful she'll make a full recovery. The vet tells me that she once saw a dog with three tick-borne illnesses who recovered fully. That must have been one filthy tick.
But despite her illness, Una is smiling again, which is amazing. I'm glad she's so quick to recover. Or maybe she's laughing at those boys, only 86% of whom smelled like real boys.
Moral:
Thank heaven for little 86%-female girls.
Copyright
2003 by Alyce Wilson
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