A recent conversation with a certain giggling girl-child has given me much laughter and cause to contemplate something that has been a natural and accepted behavior by many of my relatives. In my musings, I have realized that this frequent activity is not something I have observed as common among my city friends, but does seem to be prevalent amongst my rural associates. I think it is what we shall refer to as a "country custom".
A custom, by all rights is acceptable to the participating population. For example, the eating of bugs appears on the Discovery Channel as being something many in the Asian cultures accept as delicacies. That's fine for them. I prefer my bugs fricasseed in the bug zapper, personally. Or smashed in a boot heel/cement sandwich.
The country custom that some may find objectionable, but for which I draw much enjoyment is the goosing of various family derrieres. That's right, I pinch hineys. I remember my grandmother engaging in this form of entertainment frequently. Someone could be focusing intently on solving a challenging math problem, leaned over the counter contemplating whether a squared + b squared really does in fact equal c squared, when the goosing grandparent would sneak up behind one and send one four feet into the air with a hearty "HEEEEEEYYYYYYY!"
I feel obligated to continue her legacy. I love to see my sister take an unexpected high step and awkwardly look around to see who got her. My children running down the hallway holding their "other" cheeks, giggling and screaming "You can't get my hiney!" is the perfect antidote to whatever ails me from my day. My mother responding with a "Woo HOO! Stop it!" and then circling with her own crab-claw counter-maneuver escalates the game exponentially.
Quite simply, it is fun. It points out that at the most basic level, we are all the same. An unexpected goosing costs nothing but a little dignity, and is a sign of affection accepted among country folk.
So, what conversation caused me to ruminate on my favorite expression of love? It took place during an advanced hiney-pinching session with Little Sunshine:
Me: "What a cute little hiney! Why did God make such a cute hiney? Was it for me to pinch?"
Little Sunshine: (Giggling) "No! He made it for pooping!"
Ah, yes, my child, but he also made it for mama's pinching!!
A custom, by all rights is acceptable to the participating population. For example, the eating of bugs appears on the Discovery Channel as being something many in the Asian cultures accept as delicacies. That's fine for them. I prefer my bugs fricasseed in the bug zapper, personally. Or smashed in a boot heel/cement sandwich.
The country custom that some may find objectionable, but for which I draw much enjoyment is the goosing of various family derrieres. That's right, I pinch hineys. I remember my grandmother engaging in this form of entertainment frequently. Someone could be focusing intently on solving a challenging math problem, leaned over the counter contemplating whether a squared + b squared really does in fact equal c squared, when the goosing grandparent would sneak up behind one and send one four feet into the air with a hearty "HEEEEEEYYYYYYY!"
I feel obligated to continue her legacy. I love to see my sister take an unexpected high step and awkwardly look around to see who got her. My children running down the hallway holding their "other" cheeks, giggling and screaming "You can't get my hiney!" is the perfect antidote to whatever ails me from my day. My mother responding with a "Woo HOO! Stop it!" and then circling with her own crab-claw counter-maneuver escalates the game exponentially.
Quite simply, it is fun. It points out that at the most basic level, we are all the same. An unexpected goosing costs nothing but a little dignity, and is a sign of affection accepted among country folk.
So, what conversation caused me to ruminate on my favorite expression of love? It took place during an advanced hiney-pinching session with Little Sunshine:
Me: "What a cute little hiney! Why did God make such a cute hiney? Was it for me to pinch?"
Little Sunshine: (Giggling) "No! He made it for pooping!"
Ah, yes, my child, but he also made it for mama's pinching!!
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