i grew up in a city, and lived in big cities all my life, until i bought my little farm in the ozarks 7 years ago. i'm pretty good about all that occurs out here, i have hunted and fished all my life. but i'm still city bred (and there is a difference.)
my nearest neighbor is a few miles away. nice family. 8 children, all beautiful & friendly & courteous & smart (home schooled, as you might guess.) i don't see them all that often but i do have a dog that every few months decides it is more fun to wander off and stay with 8 children rather than to come home to my grumpy old self (not that i blame him.) so if he's gone for more than a day, soon one of the young 'uns will walk him back home on a leash. my neighbors are nice that way.
this last time, a few weeks ago, the little 8 or 9yo leal brings him home. all of the children are great, but leal is my favorite. she will talk your ear off. so smart. dressed like all of the girls across that pasture, in a long dress (i think it's part of their religion, but i don't ask,) and barefoot (because you have to cross a rather large stream to get from there to here.)
anyway, to the point of all this...
leal and i are neighborly talking by the fence about pets, and how i recently lost a dog (to old age) and a cat (to a hawk,) and i pointed out where they were buried.
"but where are the crosses?" she wanted to know. "i should do that." i replied. "i can help you, let's do it now..."
she insisted.
leal gathered some sticks, i got some twine, and we made crosses for both graves and placed them. and we talked. she told me about their goats and how several of the kids were stillborn, and then the rest were killed when coyotes got to them. she ask me where i thought animals and humans went when they died. on an on and on about life and death and the mysteries...
then we said a little prayer for my pets, and she picked up a big bug and let it walk back and forth on her hands. finally she just said "bye" and ran off home, across the stream, barefoot.
i was beyond belief amazed... one so young and so understanding about so much of life, and death. unafraid of it all. so curious (and completely ok with bugs.) in a pretty dress (not dressed like a little hooker as so many are now.) a beautiful child.
i know these thoughts date me about what we expect of girls. but i will accept any "leal" that shows up in life as more than equal. that bug she loved frankly scared me a bit.
ok, so enough...
city girls may have visited a museum or two, seen a broadway play, know how to score a teenth and can dance some nasty shit. that appears how you rate a city girl.
for my money? if i ever have a daughter? i want her to grow up just like leal.