A Girl And Her Boy, or 'Shock Collar' (part 1)

Have I got something 4-U

The following is a transcript from a conversation I overheard recently at a Nova Avalon Cafe. It was between two women:  a mother and her friend, the former I suspect not being indigenous to Temperance Valley. 

(mot = Mother,  fom = Friend of Mother)

mot: My daughter has got herself a handsome new boy

fom: Oh how wonderful, how's it going so far?

mot: Well, she has wasted no time manifesting her enormous willpower over him.

fom: What do you mean by that?

mot: Well, as you know, my little darling is very intelligent… most boys are just simply NOT on her level.

fom: True, she's very bright, but how does she "manifest her will"?

mot: Well, by completely ruling the young boy, she tells him what to do, what to wear, and how to behave. She discourages any attempts he makes at asserting his individuality.

fom: Discourages!??? how?

mot: Well first of all, she's had him fitted with a 'shock collar'.

fom: a WHAT??? Get OUT!

mot: Oh yeah, she's the boss, and she has no problem subjugating him and reminding him how and why he's subordinate to her will.

fom: And he accepts this??? Why doesn't he just take the damn thing off?

mot: He can't!

fom: Why, has she put a padlock on his collar???

mot: Oh no, she'd never do that!  My daughter may be a bit controlling, but she's not a fascist.  The boy is free to remove his collar anytime he wants to, although HE doesn't yet know that.

fom: So why doesn't HE just do it anyway?

mot: He's afraid!

fom: Afraid!?  Afraid of what?

mot: Afraid she'll be angered, and then, heaven forbid, reject him.

fom: Why doesn't he just remove the collar, and find another nice young woman who won't insist that he wear a 'shock collar'?

mot: Oh my god, he'd never do that.

fom: why not?

mot: Because he LOVES her…he absolutely adores my daughter, so he endures the collar in order to please and appease her.

fom: Has she ever shocked him with it?

mot: Oh yes, and often!  Although less and less, now that he's beginning to understand her needs and how he should behave.

fom: Hasn't your daughter ever entertained the joys of an 'equal partnership'.

mot: Oh sure, she would love that too, but he simply is not her intellectual equal. She's far too in advance of the boy. The young man simply doesn't possess the intellectual capabilities, nor emotional willpower, to ever be on her level. My daughter will never accept an 'equal partnership' with an intellectual and emotional lesser… it would be an outright disaster…all she can ever do, therefore, is to correct his behaviour in as compassionate a way as possible.

fom: But there must be other ways of 'modifying his behaviour' without delivering painful electro-shocks?

mot: Eventually yes, but at this stage, the boy is still quite raw, and rough around the edges. His limited intelligence will probably prevent him from ever achieving a level where he can become an equal partner, but my daughter's hope is:  that one day he will.  

Until then though, she'll never tolerate an 'equal partnership' with this boy, not for one moment.

fom: There are plenty of young men out there that must be her intellectual equal, why does your daughter not find herself a boy who is better suited for her?

mot: Because she loves the boy, he's REALLY a very nice guy, and extremely good looking too!  

She doesn't mind the challenge of training him and helping him evolve… 

but she's not naive either, my daughter is realistic about just how much this boy is capable changing for the better.

fom: And what do her girlfriends think of your daughter's methods?

mot: They think it's wonderful, and they really like him too, so they butt out mostly, and chuckle only amongst themselves.

fom: And what about his friends, what do they think of their friend having to wear a 'shock collar'?

mot: I think their reaction is mixed. Obviously they tease him and make comments, but secretly most of them are jealous.  Few of them have girlfriends anyway, and those that do... Well let's just say their girlfriends don't even come close to comparing to my daughter, she's really quite something you know!

Note: I suspect the Mother had spent several years living on a Martian Colony. Her attitude is typical of a colonist, and not of someone who lives regularly here in Nova Avalon, or in any of the other the communities dotting the gentle slopes of Temperance Valley.

to read part 2, click here

Future CT       Village 5, Nova Avalon.    Year 17 P.T.E.