I was out walking my dog and an odd thing happened...
I come to an intersection and wait for it to turn green to cross. On the other side is a woman and a little girl. When the light turns green, the women walks forward and I notice she is holding a rope or cord. The child lurches forward and begins following the mother. It seems very odd, me goading my dog to cross with me as a woman doing the same thing with her child mirrors from across the street. The leash was attached to a harness around the girl’s midsection.
*Public Confession Time* I was a leash kid. My mother kept me on a leash when in public. It was attached to my wrist with Velcro, and I don't recall what the other end was attached to (probably her wrist). The leash itself was a coiled, slinky-like plastic cabling that curled in tight, yellow loops. When we were close enough to hold hands, it was almost unnoticeable, but it's shape allowed it to stretch, should I run around. It was kind of like a more rigid phone cord… from when phones had cords (25 year olds shouldn’t sound that old… damn you rapidly advancing technology).
I wonder if I’ll have a leash kid. My sister never had to wear one, and she lives closer to home now than I do; maybe tying someone to you makes them want to get away. Maybe I over-emphasize whimsical childhood memories.
I come to an intersection and wait for it to turn green to cross. On the other side is a woman and a little girl. When the light turns green, the women walks forward and I notice she is holding a rope or cord. The child lurches forward and begins following the mother. It seems very odd, me goading my dog to cross with me as a woman doing the same thing with her child mirrors from across the street. The leash was attached to a harness around the girl’s midsection.
*Public Confession Time* I was a leash kid. My mother kept me on a leash when in public. It was attached to my wrist with Velcro, and I don't recall what the other end was attached to (probably her wrist). The leash itself was a coiled, slinky-like plastic cabling that curled in tight, yellow loops. When we were close enough to hold hands, it was almost unnoticeable, but it's shape allowed it to stretch, should I run around. It was kind of like a more rigid phone cord… from when phones had cords (25 year olds shouldn’t sound that old… damn you rapidly advancing technology).
I wonder if I’ll have a leash kid. My sister never had to wear one, and she lives closer to home now than I do; maybe tying someone to you makes them want to get away. Maybe I over-emphasize whimsical childhood memories.
I always thought it was weird for people to put leashes on kids, and I think it does symbolize a lot, it's not just simply putting a rope on a child. You really are saying that you will keep this child close to you, whether or not the child wants to be close to you. Then again, my parents didn't put me on a leash, and I still moved quite a few states away from them. So who knows. Great post, in any case.
ReplyDeleteIn the end of the 80es, a 2-year-old got lost in a supermarket and was killed by two young boys.
ReplyDeleteAfter this event, there was a "leash fashion" for some time. But fortunately, it did not last too long.