"Titaquiddick"

Good one, Ms. Shaidle. Much better than what I was going to call it--La Lechegate.

The titillating TIME cover reminded me of something that happened around 15 years ago. It was summer, and we were seated on the grass, watching one of those outdoor Shakespeare-in-the-park thingies (a production of The Tempest, if I recall correctly). Nearby there was a young women, blond like the chick on the TIME cover. Every so often her son, who looked to be around four or five years old, would lift up her T shirt, and take a swig from one or other of her teats. When he was finished, down went her shirt off he went. I don't know how many times it happened during the course of the play--at least four that I was aware of. Each time, though, she remained entirely still, eyes fixed on the play. The people around her, however, who had come to watch Shakespeare, were clearly discomfited by the other, um, show.

My question at the time--and I would ask it again: is this really about "attachment," or is it more a matter of sheer laziness/convenience? After all, it's so much easier to let the moppet keep sucking away on the Mommy beverage dispenser--which is always portable, available and free--than to wean the little dickens and have to remember to pack juice boxes.

Update: Trevor the transgendered writes up a lovely La Leche tale for the HuffPo.