Vienna! City of music, museums, delicious coffee, striking architecture, and a history of overwhelming intellect. After all, Freud was born in Austria and worked in Vienna. And I wonder what he’d have to say about this…
“It’s not gross!” Eric said and rolled his eyes. “It’s natural!”
“Well you’re not seeing what I’m seeing.”
Exasperated now and talking to me like I am SOOO overreacting: “Rachel, it is a natural process and you’re making a big deal about it. What did you think of the museum? I thought the Rubens’ painting – “
“Eric!” My turn to be exasperated, “Stop trying to change the subject! I am not kidding. I don’t care if it’s natural; it is gross. And it’s inappropriate in public. Seriously, you should see what I’m seeing right now. Appalling. Utterly appalling. I mean, we’re in a restaurant for God’s sake! What if that was me?”
“But it wouldn’t be you.”
“What if it was one of your friends and we were all out to dinner and we were sitting across from them and that happened?”
“I don’t know! It wouldn’t bother me, I guess. Rachel…” Eric started in. I could tell my time was coming to an end. I had to make my point. He just wasn’t getting it. He looked into his mojito and I could tell he was getting ready to talk about the museum again, but the museum could wait.
“Fine. Fine. If you don’t believe me, look for yourself.” Ooooo got him! Being a photographer, Eric is an extremely visually oriented person. I knew the idea of it wouldn’t freak him out, but the SIGHT! Yes. I got him.
He turned slowly, pretending to adjust his jacket on the back of his chair and there it was. A BREAST. Out in the open!! Oh, I should probably mention there was a baby nearby, but more importantly, A BREAST. No blanket over the shoulder, no turning away, no going to the bathroom or finding a secluded corner. Nope. Just right there in the middle of the restaurant a woman pulled down her shirt to breast-feed her baby. Her husband was sitting next to her, and, yes it gets worse, another couple was sitting across from them! So, please, imagine the following: You are out to dinner with another couple and their precious little 11-month old baby is just cooing away to everyone’s delight. Next minute, the baby starts whimpering because he is hungry. The mother (and most likely your friend or your spouse’s friend’s wife) neglects the bottle of juice on the table in favor of exposing herself to you, your significant other, and the other patrons at the restaurant. And when the baby pulls away, does she pull up her shirt immediately? No, no she does not. It takes her a minute or two to see that the baby isn’t hungry anymore and has gone back to his trucks. All this and it’s still just the appetizer portion of the evening.
Eric turned around, mortified and horrified. He was shocked, as expected. I asked him if he still thought it was a natural process and acceptable in a public restaurant. He did not.
For all the mothers out there who breast-fed, please understand that I do know it’s a natural process. However, I don’t want to see it at dinner. Cover it up! And I know, I’m in Europe and they are much freer about their bodies etcetera, etcetera. I think that’s great. At a nude beach. Not at my chosen dinner establishment.
And for the psychologists and psychiatrists out there, in the name of Freud, ANALYSE THAT.
Until tomorrow and the new adventure…
Rachel
