3V1105.02 What we observe is not what she intends [Woodstock is patting his tail with the monsters.] (1/31/81)

‘Patting’ is an activity that Peggy knows a lot about. Scurry is her close friend and she pats Scurry every day. She is, in fact, merciless in expressing her affection for the dog who gets no peace at all. But what does ‘patting’ mean to her ? Consider this example.

Peggy at Robby’s place, where he had left a box of metal figurines (characters from his Dungeons and Dragons game). Peggy picked up Woodstock and began saying ‘pat, pat’ as she poked his tail against the figurines in the box. She then explained ‘Woodstock is patting his tail with the monsters.’ From this, we can infer that the tail — which we would see as an instrument — is in her use object and further, that ‘patting’ is a reflexive activity, i.e. it is something one causes to happen to a part of one’s self. I find this bizarre in the extreme.
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