(said with a cigar hanging out the side of my mouth....hahaha...
only you older people will get that one!)
My girlfriend Lynne & I were travelling westbound in the fastlane of Hwy 403
to Hamilton when to my surprise and I've gotta tell you..shock factor here...
we saw a giant BOOB travelling in the same direction.
my purse so Lynne can snap some photos of this, all while driving in the fastlane
don't forget! We're super nuts yelling "What is that?, Is that a boob on top?,
What else could it be?, How do I work this thingy? Just get some good shots!"
And so it begins....I'm speeding up and slowing down and speeding up, trying to keep pace with the truck so Lynne can get a good picture, and totally ticking off the
drivers behind me, I'm sure....although who knows? Maybe they were
groping around for their iphones too? We finally got right beside it.....
But, then we're throwing out ideas to each other which were, of course,
completely out in left field. I'm thinking, "Are there women in there lined up on
side benches, waiting for their turns to breastfeed? Do they transport breast milk? Do they go to new mother's homes and teach them how to breastfeed?"
After researching on the internet...it's none of the above, especially the women lined
up on side benches inside, being held hostage obviously in my scenario! lol!
You'd think it wouldn't take long for an OPP officer to pull them over and ask that
the back gate be pulled up to see what's inside?
Anyway, back to the internet....
Apparently, this is a mobile unit started in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by a woman named
Jill Miller to raise awareness about breast feeding and so it's part performance art
and part a public service. Here's an excerpt from the website devoted to
The Milk Truck.
The Milk Truck
@ The 2011 Pittsburgh Biennial at the Andy Warhol Museum
September 17 - December 10, 2011
Part performance art, part public service.
Yes, we will buy an ice cream truck and attach a giant boob to the top! Yes, we will become superhero-like in our vigilant support of nursing mothers! And yes, we take our mission very seriously. But we know (from being mothers, perhaps) that words are most effective when accompanied by a friendly smile and a wink. Mary Poppins had it right: a spoonful of sugar does help the medicine go down. So we are using The Milk Truck to start a conversation in our community about a basic human right: feeding a baby. (With sugar on top, of course.)
We're tired of hearing stories about women being asked to leave restaurants or "cover up" with a blanket while doing something as simple as feeding a baby. But we're not the type to complain; we're the type to take action. Which leads us to...The Milk Truck.
When a woman finds herself in a situation where she is discouraged, harassed, or unwelcome to breastfeed her baby in public, she summons The Milk Truck. The truck arrives to the location of the woman in need and provides her with a shelter for feeding her baby. The woman feeds her child, the shopkeeper who harassed her feels like a dweeb, and the truck does what it does best - creates a spectacle. (Which is, incidently, the very thing that the shopkeeper thought he was trying to avoid. Alas, some people have to learn the hard way.)
The Milk Truck is in the Toronto area this month, travelling to different
areas of the city to raise awareness about breastfeeding.
Although I'm too old to want to be a mommy again, and too shy to have ever
breastfed in public, I certainly have nothing against women breastfeeding in public and
don't think they should feel embarassed by this natural part of life.
That said, another strange thing happened recently in this regard when I went with
Robynn & our new grandchild, Logan, on the day of his circumcision to the
little doctor's office in Dundas.
There were four babies waiting to be circumcised and when the first girl had gone
in and returned with her baby, she promptly began to breastfeed openly in
the waiting room...which was fine. The only problem I had with it, was...
the baby was gasping for air, slurping away like he may never get another meal and
when she was ready to burp him...I'm suddenly no more than 9" away from him
in the chair to her right. There was no one in the two chairs to her left...lets get that straight right now. I wanted to move, because, I have had the experience of projectile vomitting with my babies and I was waiting for it to happen all over again.
I'm not sure how I would have felt with this stranger's breastmilk all over me!
Is that shallow?
My point is, it's not the feeding in public that bothers me, but have a little
etiquette about how or where you face your baby to burp.
It's not all cutesy, wootsy if you cover a stranger in spit-up.
world famous blogger who can take liberties while driving in the fastlane...NOT), I do
believe this is a good cause because let's face it, nursing mothers can't always
pump milk on request for outings and why shouldn't people be allowed to do in
public something as natural and beautiful as breastfeeding?
And now, if you're driving down the highway one day and you see this, you won't
be shocked and wondering what in the Sam heck it is!
Food for thought!
xo