So Is It OK To Say Pussy Now?

I was about 10
when I got my
first cat.
She sat in the
back seat with me,
and licked my hands
all the way home.
When I decided to call her
Lickinpuss,
my ESL parents
smiled and nodded,
but my older brother
laughed his head off.
He insisted that
it wouldn't be right.
It was years until I understood
why he thought it was so funny.

When we adopted
Izzy,
one of my children
got into the habit
of calling her
Little Pussy.
I clarified right away.
I explained the
sexual innuendo,
and although horrified,
the child understood the
faux pas
of it's use.

In recent weeks,
I have tried
to speak out
against the
injustice imposed
on the punk band,
Pussy Riot.
In light of previous
conversations,
one of my children
came to me
asking why it was
OK
to keep saying
Pussy Riot,
on the news,
in the papers?
I had the
gift
of explaining
the power
in a name.

Our names
represent us,
identify us.
They tell the
story of our
past,
the context of our
present,
and our impact
on the
future.
Some names are
unusual and
difficult to pronounce,
but it is our job
to respect them.
To treat a name
like the person
it modifies.

I knew a man
once,
named
Harry Dong.
No Lie!
Great guy!
Though we all
had to work
hard
not to giggle.
He could have
changed his name,
to something more
inconspicuous,
but it would not
have changed
his essence.
And I admired his
determination
to keep his
birth name,
forcing us
to get over it.
He deserved our
understanding, and
our respect.
So does
Pussy Riot.
"...That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet." (William Shakespeare)

The child nodded,
in understanding,
and walked away
muttering,
"I swear she has a Shakespeare quote
for everything!"

Sally