My happy days with the hens are long over. However, I have Copper’s example of courage and duty, and discipline in the face of great trial as sign post – or ‘North Star’ one may say – in case I get lost in this new place called “the South.”

I am not typically a big earner of cash. Cash is handy. Money in this world does seem to answer most material concerns. But, it’s the immaterial things that concern me- the elusive ‘happiness.’ But, rarely does anyone gives you cash for asking questions. I’ve grown to believe unless I am contributing to the GDP in some significant way, I am irrelevant.

This mindset is a bit less so in the South. Here people seem like a big family. People treat each other with kindness and respect – even affection. In the minute and a half I was at the McDonald’s drive-through, I went from “sugar” to “ma’am.” The elderly mother figure in the ordering window treated me like a beloved grandchild come home for dinner. The young, black woman in the next window treated me like an aged-woman, worthy of respect, for being a woman, I guess.

This troubles me because I have never thought of myself as ‘beloved’ by anybody before. Neither have I ever been a person worthy of distinction because of my seniority (except at Dunkin Donuts where the 13 year old serving coffee gave me a ‘senior’ discount.)

Whoever I thought I was before seems a little less relevant. My object of leaving New England was to continue living my brave, new life somewhere where lower contributors to the GDP may find refuge. I didn’t expect to find affection. I felt like crying which is strictly “verboten” in German families. The tears somewhat waned in the face of a big burger, fries and a milkshake from Grandma.

This opens a whole new set of questions, like: What is a woman? If I get to be distinguished just for my biology, it seems prudent to know why, so I don’t disappoint anyone too terribly.

I always thought women were useful to tell men to stop doing the stupid things they are doing. Hence: “WO MAN!” Then there’s is the ancient meaning of woman, Wo(mb)man or – hu-man with a womb.

It seems the social agitators demanding equal rights for woman forgot that bearing humans into the world and then guiding them continually like a North Star, from the stupid they may endeavor, is already a full-time job. Perhaps that is why they contribute less to the GDP. Right?

If we forget women’s forever contribution to the world, who will raise the future employees of the world? The television? What I am trying to say is: If there were more mothers celebrated for being what they are by nature, we’d have less stray children crying in the McDonald’s drive-though. And eating burgers and fries to comfort themselves.