No Pacifier Needed

Almost every young mother here owns a near-car-sized baby carriage. Some of those things must also be about as expensive as a car. They are big, so big! On the public transportation system here, mothers with babies or small children must always be given first right to grab a space to sit or stand, or to park their baby carriages. Some of those carriages must be a yard and a half wide. Sometimes fights break out because mothers will simply push people out of the way with their carriages. I think those must be the Joan Crawford mummies.

But today I saw a heartening sight. As I was waiting for the bus, a sixty-something-year-old woman came walking by and pushing a large carriage in front of her. I just assumed that she must be the grandmother doing a bit of babysitting. But then on second look, I realized that I was quite wrong. Positioned right where I expected to see a baby was a tiny but adult ong-haired white terrier (don't ask me what type). The dog appeared to be perfectly content, with no interest in getting out of his bed. He just sat there calmly, watching the world as it coasted past him. I somehow felt much happier than a few minutes earlier