A breast? Are you serious?

In doing a writing exercise where I have to think about people who gave me positive reinforcement regarding my creativity growing up, I was reminded of my 4th grade teacher who read to the class a very short story I wrote about early American settlers traveling west.

In this story, there was a mother of a very young baby, and I recall asking my mother what the name of the top of the bottle was that babies drink out of. When she said "a nipple, or teat," I was rather squeamish about writing either one, let alone having my teacher, and then my class, hear it. But, they were in fact the only words that seemed to exist for what the baby sucked on, so I therefore had to use one. (I had to be very specific. Saying the baby sucked on the bottle, I felt, was incorrect, since the bottle was the the part that held the milk. I believe I went with "teat." Funny how I think I censor myself now more than I did then.)

What astounds me is that the idea of the baby feeding from a breast did not cross my mind for a moment. It was not at all a possibility in my mind. I imagine that was the influence of toys and TV, and never having seen a woman breastfeed.

I find that amazing.