The Grammar Police, the Zoo, and a Dog with an Owie


Chloe, looking through the cat door.

Our foster dog had surgery on Monday. Chloe had a small mass on her back that needed to be removed (assumed to be non-cancerous - we're just waiting for the histopathology report to come back from the lab). She also has some chronic issues with her ears. It seems she has had yeast infections in the past and that her former owners didn't bother to treat them. So, the condition just sort of snowballed over time. While Chloe was under general anesthesia, Dr. Barr flushed out her ear canals all the way down to the ear drum (she was born deaf, so no worries about harming her hearing). She is on meds for a week or so, and we are hopeful that her ears won't need more than routine maintenance in the future.

She doesn't have any adoption prospects so far, but it looks like she and I may have a couple of television appearances (local news) in the next couple of weeks in order to promote an upcoming fundraiser for the rescue. I'm hopeful that someone may see the smooshy-faced girl and fall for her goofy charm.

When we brought Chloe home after her surgery, the kid said, "Mama, Chloe doesn't feel well." I was so happy that she had used the correct word (I think a lot of kids would have said "good") that I nearly shed a tear over it. The poor kid - being the daughter of an English major she'll grow up not knowing what it's like to end a sentence in a preposition or to split an infinitive, as I will have headed her off at the pass. Or at least I'll try like hell.

I am never sure, however, if it's okay to correct her at this stage. We have a crack in the ceiling inside our garage, because my husband climbed up there and then somehow put his knee through it. Almost daily, A eyes that bulging crack and says, "Father breaked our house." So then I respond, "Yes, Father broke our house." I figure it's better for her to hear me say it correctly than for me to tell her that she said it INcorrectly.

At the same time, I am also trying to lead her down the path of good manners. So far, the results are mixed. When she says, "I want a cookie," I tell her to "try again." So then she asks, "Please may I can have a cookie?" Rome wasn't built in a day, as the saying goes.

At the zoo yesterday I heard a little boy use the word "ain't." He appeared to be around the same age as my daughter. Then I heard his parents speaking to each other and I understood. It maketh me weep. I am not a grammar expert by any stretch, but I do hate to witness the bastardization of our language. Somebody's got to take a stand, right?

It was a fun little trip to the zoo, though. Our little local zoo is no great shakes, but it's free on Wednesday evenings, so that's a plus. And the kid wore herself out, so that's worth the trip right there. I always feel conflicted about zoos, though, I have to admit. Part of me understands that they are necessary for conservation. We are destroying habitats at such an alarming rate that many species will be lost if not for these conservation efforts. And yet, when I am gazing a lion sitting forlornly in an enclosure that provides not even a fraction of the room he really needs, my heart always sinks a little. Granted, it's not like the zoos you see in the old Curious George books, all bars and concrete, but still . . .


At the zoo

p.s. Please accept my apologies for weaving three topics together in such a clumsy manner!

Comments

Mary said…
I dunno... me ain't good at English, is that a langauge?;) But I love reading your blog.... I did always try to teach my kids manners though.;)
August 28, 2008 at 6:20 PM
Anonymous said…
Eh Lady - you ain't foolin' nobody wit yer stories. Me 'n' da hubby know yer jest .... Sorry, I can't keep it up any longer.
:) Sharon, Lizzie's mom
August 28, 2008 at 11:19 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It's been a minute, but let's talk about my b*o*o*b*s

Image
I'm in the sixth grade. I'm sitting on the floor at my friend Sharon's house. Rachel is there, too. My well-meaning friends turn to me and gently let me know that I "really don't need to bother wearing a bra." They aren't wrong. I'm wearing one, but the situation doesn't particularly warrant it.  Two years later, I found myself sporting a C cup. My mom, a talented seamstress, made me a dress at about that time. It was a slim-fitting column dress with a matching jacket, as I recall. The white fabric had large polka dots; we jokingly called it the Wonder Bread dress. My mom took my measurements. 36-24-36 At some point in history, those numbers were considered "perfect measurements" for a woman. This was 1984; I'd like to think the world as a whole is less concerned about such things these days. I'm confident my daughter has no earthly idea what her measurements are. She just knows she's cute.  Growing up with a fun array of medi...
Read more

On Being Patriotic

The list of adjectives I assign to myself is pretty long: clumsy, organized, competent, uptight, etc. One that might surprise you: patriotic. I fully understand what it means to be an American and am darned happy about living here. But, I have a beef (that part won't surprise you). I've grown tired of certain segments of the population thinking that they've cornered the market on patriotism or that they can dictate precisely how the rest of us express ourselves when it comes to our shared country and flag. Sometimes it seems like the Toby-Keith-boot-in-yer-ass brand of patriotism drowns out the rest of us. For the record, I don't believe that patriotism requires a love of NASCAR, a disdain for immigrants, a Republican voting record, or a preference for country music. Nor does it require adherence to a specific religion. I've seen Facebook posts from some of my friends and acquaintances that call for all of us to return to the "Christian principles on which ...
Read more

14 Weeks

Image
My baby is leaving me in 14 weeks.  She and I started touring colleges in May of 2022. When I applied to colleges back in 1988, I was an English major so there were no auditions. Colleges basically just said, "Sounds good. Come on in." I was the first person in my immediate family to go to college and as a whole, I don't think we understood the importance of campus visits and such. I ended up being fairly miserable that first year until I transferred to a school closer to home. For my daughter, I wanted to make sure she had an opportunity to see lots of college campuses so that she had the best shot at figuring out what she wants out of the college experience. I wanted her to look at elements like campus size and location, diversity, activities, distance from home, and distance from the nearest "big city" (since performers often head to larger cities with active theatre scenes after college).  Last summer, we began the daunting process known as "getting int...
Read more