Chapter 10: The Ugly Duckling Breaks Her Cosmic Egg Tune: I'm Wishing ... I'm Wishing ...
Heidi Hardin, Chapter 10: The Ugly Duckling Breaks Her Cosmic Egg Tune: I'm Wishing ... I'm Wishing ... . Tempera on Paper with Mixed Media Collage, 24” x 18”
In my memoir, Heidi, The Okie Girl, the chapter, The Ugly Duckling begins like this:
It is only a matter of days before my father comes to me in the very early hours to say, "Heidi, you are an ugly duckling now. One day your body will grow, you will mature and have breasts like your mother and sisters. You will become a swan. Your prince will come. He will be the one to do this with you in the future. You will have then a family of your own. We cannot continue to do this any longer. You are getting too big for this attention. You must not tell. I could go to jail. You don't want me to have to go away forever, do you? You swore to god never to tell anyone of our little secret. You have to promise me. You have to swear to God again, one last time that you will not tell.
Despite universal prohibitions against incest, the behavior occurs. Concealment by families and the powerful social taboos against such activity reduces the chance that this behavior will come to light.
(Crooks and Baur, Our Sexuality)
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