It's a goat thing

It all began with a video on Youtube. A fainting goat doing what it does so well, fainting. Over and over again. Highly amusing stuff, and I laughed like crazy, and what started off as a joke evolved into a true like of all things goat. I remember walking through Pike Market one crowded summer afternoon with my mom and noticing the t-shirt on a girl passing by. Something about an international fainting goat association. I just about died knowing that such a thing existed, and much to my embarrassment (and later on, I'll confess, delight), good ol' Mom stopped the poor girl and asked if we could have a picture taken of the girl and I together, since I love fainting goats.

It occurred to me last night as I was browsing a website, oohing and ahhhing and chuckling over goat-themed merchandise, that this behavior might seem a little strange to the average city bloke. Admittedly, it took self-restraint to keep myself from purchasing a few t-shirts (though I may cave in and order a canvas tote). And what's not to love about shirts that bear "Got goat?" or "No goats, no glory" (a phrase I think was stolen from a customer of mine) or "You wouldn't understand, it's a goat thing" or one of my faves, "Peace, love, goats"? I dig it. Like it's going out of style; except, wait, it's never been in style.

And so it makes perfect sense that I'm driving all the way to Monroe tomorrow, Ricardo in tow, to witness the first ever Goat Olympics. I forget that not everyone knows me that well, and so when customers asked today what I'm doing this weekend and heard my response, I got a fair amount of raised eyebrows and "That's... interesting" comments.

Most people want to know, "Why goats? What's the fascination?" And I tend to shrug and reply, "Why not goats?" They're a whole lot more entertaining than tv. If you'd ever seen two goats facing off on a teeter-totter, you'd understand.