I Wish I’d Had A Goat

I love uncovering the origin of phrases that roll out of the mouth as easily as steam from a teapot. There are things we say that poise as obvious truth though we don’t even realize we don’t know from whence they came. Truly wonderful are those tidbits we can’t even hear because we’ve been spitting them out since we could talk but no one ever really said, “Huh?” One of my favorites is, “Who got your goat?” In my neck of the woods the modern interpretation would go something like, “You seem a bit perturbed. Someone upset you? Would you like to talk about it?” Isn’t that a lovely question? Much different than, “Some jerk chokin’ your chain, dude?” No matter how you ask it, the original meaning sheds light on the question we don’t even know we’re asking. In the world of racehorses it seems important that the horse be calm prior to the race. Apparently goats are a calming influence for horses and were utilized as stall-mates. Maybe there are things that a horse can confide to a goat that just can’t be divulged to the larger community. Anyway, imagine your best friend and trusted confidante being swept off the scene right before the nuptials, or finding your Mom’s front row seat vacant as you take the stage for your first solo performance, or being deprived of Bobby Frasor’s cheering you on from the Carolina bench as you trot onto Duke’s home court. Not good. Now if you were banking your life on your little racehorse…let’s call her Ace in the Hole…but a competitors horse, Miss American Dream seems to have the advantage, you might think, “Oh, if we take little Missy’s dream goat she’ll be so upset she won’t even be thinking about the race.” Not a pretty thought but I can see how it could happen. So anyway, yesterday a friend read my face and said with only a hint of compassion, “Who got your goat?” The car repair bill was twice what I expected. my Mom sounded desperately lonely as I called to say I couldn’t make it to town for lunch, a renter called to complain about heating costs, and I didn’t have enough cell phone minutes left to phone a friendly life line. Woe is me. So without the benefit of time to consider the deep meaning of my friend’s question, I answered simply, “It’s been a rough day.” I found myself at home later in the day, feeling pretty blue and thinking I just wish I’d had a goat. Wait a minute. My neighbor has goats. The walk through the fields was good for me. The goats seemed to appreciate my company. Eventually I looked at them and asked if I really have anything to worry about. They chewed thoughtfully, considering my question. After an uncomfortable silence they look calmly into my eyes and answer in unison, “Nah!”