Big Bucking Chicken

I would have posted sooner but some fool played an April trick on me. I am not sure how, seeing how he acts so inexperienced, but he “Dunkered” with something and I was unable to post. I could go in and adjust my template (on my test site) and I could comment but I could not post. After several award winning posts were lost, I gave up.

But here’s this…

When T was 2 maybe 2 ½ we were spending our weekly hour with the Occupational Therapist (we like those guy they always had food and shinny things), this time it was for a pre-school evaluation, so we were trying all sorts of new things. The first activity was to see if T could handle movements such as swinging. The OT brought out a shinny pink sack. It was similar to a pillow-sham, but the opening ran horizontal and had a zipper. The OT proceeded to zip her in-side and swing her around and toss her up in the air….I know….we really did like her, and T loved it.

The next activity was to see if she could understand that her actions may have reactions. The OT pulled out a mechanical toy chicken; it was adapted with a cord leading from the battery pack to a large colored button. I had to chuckle at this test, you see by this time T was a master at operating a Television and VCR remote, this would not at all be a challenge for this kid. The OT sat the chicken on the floor and sat the BIG RED BUTTON (to bad it wasn’t an easy button) in front of T. T already did not like the chicken, it was a very real looking toy, but when she pushed the button she was not at all happy. The thing started clucking and bucking. She new that button brought that chicken to life, she new that button had to die. She chucked that button as far as she could, which was far enough that the cord pulled tight and the chicken followed. Chickens can fly. We tried several times to get her to operate the chicken. We showed her the batteries, taught her how the button worked, and explained it was a toy. We tried different animals a frog, hippo, and an elephant, with these it was just plain refusal. She wouldn’t even look at the animal let alone the button. As we left, out of ear shot of anyone else, she says “You just don’t know what an animal is thinking; they have a mind of their own.” I don’t think she passed that part of the test but I remember the lesson…she has a mind of her own and just never know what might might happen.

I truly believe chickens are Savages; they are dirty, ugly, unpredictably mean creatures. As my eldest daughter has taught me, they are unpredictable…. But something about them makes me happy, this is a fairly new development in my stage of mental growth and development. All I have to do is mentally paint chickens and all is well.

And what brings me to this post…..Burger Kings new ad campaign (I couldn’t find the commercial but Google it, it has raised a ruckus)… the cowboys riding the chicken caught my eye first…then the song “Big Bucking Chicken” …. I am still laughing… now I can sing as I paint.