Another Old Woman Story

I've told two stories that illustrate the young child version of the Old Woman. Now one that will show how the child developed as an adult.

One of the ways the Old Folks, and their family, like to spend time together is reading while in the same room. They, we, are a family of readers. We think it wholly acceptable to peruse the bookshelves of other family members and help ourselves. (There is a system of which bookshelves are "public" and books don't go on the shelves until read by the household.) We are big believers of public libraries and books as gifts.

One Christmas, not that many years ago (I'd finished at university and was a tax-paying member of my community), we all found ourselves sitting around the same room, reading in comfy chairs. The Old Woman put down her book with some force and decided to turn on the television. After flicking through the channels briefly, she snapped the television off. She stood up and said "I have an announcement."

We all placed our fingers on the lines we were reading in our respective books, and looked up. At which point, she yelled "I do NOT HAVE PENIS ENVY" and stomped downstairs to her art table.

We all exchanged glances, and went right back to reading as if she'd not said it.