Lessons From Growing Up

I grew up overseas, my father was in the diplomatic service and we had several postings, in Africa, Malaya, and in Brazil. I grew up everywhere but nowhere. A couple of examples.

In Kenya we became friends with a man who ran a rescue camp for injured animals, big animals I never really understood why they ignored 'trash' animals but they did. I spent a lot if my free time at the camp. On this one occasion there were several elephants there waiting to be transferred south. One was a bull. They are huge, so big it is hard to explain. This bull was in must so he was kept apart from the females. The weekend they let a cow into his enclosure and after a while he mounted her. It was the first time I confronted male sexual dominance.

In Bolivia, I was a senior in high school, I had the opportunity to deal with malnutrition. Our school had a program to help this local school. We bought and delivered nutrition food to them to take home to their families. My shock was when I found out that the food we gave them was sold, and they still ate their poor nutrition food. I lost my innocence.

Then when my parents were in Mexico and I was in college I was on summer vacation and I was invited to a party by some Mexican friends. The party had lots of alcohol, but later harder stuff. It was late and a girl was brought to the party by some new guests, she was tied to a coffee table and her behind stripped. Her backside was washed and a large dog was brought in to mount her. She clenched her teeth, not a word while this animal mated her.

I am married and live with my husband and children in a suburban home. I think of that girl more than I should, she was a prostitute, she got paid for the show. When I deal with my husband is he the bull and am I the cow?, he can clench me so that I cannot move. I learned lessons that are with me every day. But the loss of innocence of the people selling their good food for money is the hardest lesson to learn and pass onto my children.