They do WHAAAT ???
Last night hubby and I watched an episode of Taboo on the national geographic channel.. The topic of last night’s episode was tribal rituals which included … Thai-Burmese borde
r where women, as a sign of beauty, wear heavy brass rings around their so-called long necks to make them appear longer. They also had a segment about West African state of Cameroon. When the young girls reach adolescence, they undergo a practice known as breast ironing to keep their breasts flat in an attempt to keep them unmarried and in school. The mothers or grandmothers heat a long thick stick in the fire until almost burning and then pound –massage-squish-push- the girls breast every day for months ..trying to slow down the natural growth of the breast.There was this lady on the show who was called an “expert” on rituals ..She said that Americans have rituals that they do also. As in tattooing , cosmetic surgery etc etc ..
The show was very fascinating and I was riveted the entire hour !!
After the show, hubby and I went outside for a smoke.. We were discussing the show… when out comes my daughter mid conversation and was fascinated by the subject.Hubby and I were trying to think of what ritual like things Americans do to their children. The only thing we could think of was circumcision. I noticed a perplexed look on my 11 year old daughters face.
Here is how the conversation went:
Daughter: What is circumcision?
Hubby: it is when they cut a boys penis…
Daughter : (very disturbed) pause……. look of horror on her face…… AS in OFF?!!!???!!!!!
Me: No! No! Honey…. Do you really want to have this conversation NOW?
Daughter: ??I think so??
Husband: (shitty grin on his face) Go for it babe !!!
Me: Pause.. Um well since I don’t have a penis … I really don’t know how to explain this …but I will do my best …..When a baby boy is born, they have a piece of skin or is it a flap?? On their penis that …….
Daughter: Looking like she is about to vomit …OK OK…THAT is all I want to hear….
Me: thank GOD !!!
Daughter: Um dad….. was your penis cut?
Me: Go for it babe!!!!!
Hubby: Anyone want ice cream ?
Posted by MJ @ 8:19 AM
4 Comments:
OMG!
I can't even IMAGINE having that conversation with my ten year old daughter. How old is yours?
Arthur- She is 11 going on 24 :)
Damn, 11. Maybe you should just take the high road and say that circumcisions are done for health reasons. And leave it at that. It's a medical procedure, we can have the doctor explain it in detail if you'd like. Let the pediatrician show how he earned that damn degree.
I don't believe I was circumcised (at least not fully because when I was young the flap covered the top, like a convertible).
However, I was born in New York City and I DO remember that I was delivered by a man my father referred to as that "goddamn Indian doctor."
That's awful about the breasts. Reminds me of an episode of Little House on the Prairie.
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