It's possible I overreacted

There's this guy at work....and today I may have reacted a little strongly to him.   He wanted to complain about 'kids today". It did not turn out well for him.  He doesn't have any kids and he really ought to have known better than to squawk to me from his childfree soapbox.   Really.  But it's possible that I tore too large a strip off of him.

I feel sort of bad about it.   Sort of. 

This fellow was already on my radar after our delay in Kansas City.    Following a work gig in Kansas City we ended up in the airport just as one of those KANSAS style thunderstorms descended upon the airport.  

Think "Auntie Em! Auntie Em!".   

Our flight was delayed as were most of the flights out of Kansas City that day.   We were lucky (in retrospect) because our flight couldn't land and so they couldn't load us on it and then tell us we'd be sitting in a tin can on a runway for hours on end.   Instead they just kept pushing back the time - and since we couldn't get on the flight we sat in the airport ..uh...lounge..for hours on end.   We must have been darned near the most obnoxious fun group ever as we ate and drank and drank and ate on the corporate card.    The mugs of beer were of a novelty size and probably meant more as pitchers than mugs.   It didn't stop many of our group from downing more than one.   

Our flight was supposed to leave at 3pm and we were still sitting in the lounge (okay, Bar and Grill) at 9pm.  Yes, it was kind of frustrating to be stuck there and we all missed our families and were tired and wanted to sleep in our own beds....but we were sitting with a pretty fun group of people and drinking and eating and eating and drinking on a corporate card.  

At one point in the evening this fellow comes up and he's obviously been taking advantage of the corporate card and says "I've just texted my friends to tell them that I am in Hell.  This is like a redemption movie and I'm the lead and waiting for redemption"

Dude.   You're sitting in a bar and drinking on a corporate card.   If there's a Hell you are at the furthest point from it.   I know several (many, many, many) who would actually call this Heaven. 

It was at this point that I started to call him Princess. 

So here's Princess today and he's going on about kids in the grocery store.   

"The kids are just freaking out and no one is paying attention to it at all!  Why don't the parents stop it?!!"  

"Well," I says "What you have there is a tiny little snapshot of a tiny little moment.   It's not indicative of the entire parenting philosophy and it's possible that the parent is just praying for strength because they've got a prescription to pick up and they had to bring the child along and it's past nap time but if they don't get the prescription they could die...or something" 

"All I know is that when I was a kid my parents would never have allowed that..."

"It's also possible that it's a long range kind of thing.   Like when my kid is freaking out in the check out and I've just got a few things to go and he starts wailing for a chocolate bar I can give him the chocolate bar to shut him up and keep the other customers happy but then I've got a kid who thinks he can wail and get what he wants...how does that turn out, do you think?" 

"Well...my parents have friends who have kids and they never read to them..."

"Never?  Really?   Have you been in their house and seen the complete lack of books?  No Dr. Seuss? No Sandra Boynton? No Gordon Korman?  No books? " 

"Well..."

"All I'm saying is that it's different on this side of the line and that years and years of sleep deprivation and having to pee with the door open does things to a person and when you have children..."

"I know, you'll laugh at me"

"No Princess...I'll be a shoulder.   Because as awesome as being a parent is, it's also damned hard sometimes...and a little understanding or holding a door when we're carrying a screaming toddler out of a store wouldn't hurt.   Give it some thought. "

Comments

[Cathy]

Once when I had a special order cake and my one year old in the grocery cart, my 3 year old had a Tantrum To End All Tantrums. I stood in line. I prayed for patience. I used my body as a barrier so he could not escape from the checkout line. I politely deflected kind cashiers offering him candy (yeah - he needed MORE sugar?!). I tried not to cry. Then, as we were finally leaving, the older gentleman behind me tapped me on the shoulder. I was expecting some "back in my day" advice, when all he did was tell me "You're a really good mom." THAT is when I started to bawl. I love that man! Thanks for sticking up for us!

[michelle]

Hear, hear. (Me, applauding.)

Carry on,
~m

[kristin]

Perfection, dear one. Not too big a strip at all....considering the novelty size of the beer and all....
Perfection, I say.

[Debbie T.]

I am so behind on your blog, but enjoying catching up this evening!
I am that person that 'Princess' would judge...every damn day. Thank you for setting him straight. Hopefully it will be well digested food for thought :)

[kommishoner]

You, my friend, are fantastic. Seriously. I'm stealing all of your responses to Princess. And Cathy's story made me all teary. I really need to hear that I'm a good mom today, so I'm going to just pretend I have my own guy in my sixties to tell me so.

[Suzanne Lander]

Cathy's story made me all teary, too :)

Five bucks says Princess was a hellion in the grocery store at least until age 5 but doesn't remember it and his parents have repressed the memory.

My parents "wouldn't have allowed" a lot of behavior people complain about today and I can still remember lots of warnings that my mom would "snatch you baldheaded!" if we didn't calm down. I also remember her arm waving around at us from the front seat of the station wagon ;) That's how the station wagon wound up attached to the tree next to our driveway....

I don't think she remembers *any* of these things. Hopefully I won't remember any of my impatient moments either, except as far as to go easy on my kids if I become a grandmother.