City Folk

[Llysse]

Okay. I have to tell on myself. This is really embarrassing.

I was at a little petting zoo, maybe 10 years ago. That would make me... mmm... mid twenties, somewhere around there. Old enough to have known better. There were goats and ponies and bunnies and so forth... also, for some reason, there were large tortoises. Not very cuddly for a petting zoo, but there you have it.

I glanced over and saw one climbing on top of the other rather violently, and... screaming. Yes. Well, Not sustained screaming, but more like breathy, grunty, old man-y exhalations. I was so startled, as I didn't even know they could make sounds, that the only thing I could think of at the time was that the other tortoise was being attacked. Indeed, it did seem like the one on the bottom kept trying to get away.

I told my husband, "Look, honey! That tortoise is being mean to the other one!"

When I heard the muffled laughter from the people around us, I realized what the two were actually doing and turned several shades of scarlet at having revealed my complete stupidity to a bunch of strangers at a petting zoo.

My husband, meanwhile, doll that he is, said in his drollest tone of voice, "I wouldn't characterize that as mean."

The crowd went wild, and I about passed out.

 

[Carole AM]

This has GOT to be one of the funniest threads EVER!

How did these people ever graduate high school?

 

[chickenmomva]

I grew up a city girl and turned into a country girl........recently we saw turkeys in a nearby field and they were gobbiling and doing what trukeys do to attract other turkeys and being close to spring season we went to see how big the gobblers were and as we got closer I said rather dumb like to my husband the girl turkey disappeared where could it have gone and you know they were UHHH you know.....and my 3 year old son is in awe of the turkeys and he says WOW and I am still looking for the girl turkey and then there she was plastered to the ground under the gobbler and my son says there she is mommy the big turkey was squishing her.............I felt violated it was like drive by movie of the worst sorts............wont go looking at turkeys in the field anymore............

 

[xrayman]

It's just amazing how sheltered some people have been. Feel fortunate for what we have.

 

[CranberryBirds]

Well, I grew up in the country so I have a few tales of my own.

When I was a teenager a couple of new kids moved to the area from Chicago (talk about culture shock). We were out spotting deer with them one time (you know, to introduce them to country life) and the one asked how you could tell the female deer from the male deer. I told him and didn't laugh--I found it kind of sad that he didn't know.

You'd be surprised (OK, maybe not) at the number of salt-of-the-earth country people that insisted that 1. You must have a rooster in order to get eggs AND/OR 2. Roosters lay eggs, but they never hatch.

But I'm not going to insist that it's a city/country divide or anything. It's just what people are exposed to. MOST people can be taught it's just a matter of them admitting that they don't know (that's the hard part).

Drop this country-raised girl on a college campus at age 18, amongst the priviledged and wealthy, and there were things that I didn't know. OK, we here may say that the things I didn't know (brand names, luxury items, wine and cheese type stuff) isn't as critical, but still, we all have our blind spots!

 

[cookinmom]

I agree that it is just a matter of what you have/haven't been exposed to. My friend's brother told him that hummingbirds don't have feet, that's why they fly so fast and hover over stuff. He believed him.

He asked me once if they have feet, and I like to fell off the porch, but I didn't laugh out loud at him. I just said yeah, they have feet, I held one in my hand once.

 

[Henriettahen]

HAHAHAHA, city people are hilarious!

ok well..I am one. but I am more of a country girl than a city girl..I live in the country on weekends at least

 

[cookinmom]

Quote:
You're a country girl at heart!!

 

[Henriettahen]

hahaha, yes.

 

[edbama2]

I'm originally from NYC and moved out to the country down in southern Alabama. I was fortunate growing up since I lived across the street from a farm. Imagine that, probably the last true farm in NYC. It is no longer there. I have still been ignorant to alot but, take the time to research before leaping into anything. This site has been tremendous help. Now I need to try and find backyard pigs forum so I can buy some of them cute pigs at the feed store.