I'll get back to Greers Ferry stories tomorrow, but I just needed to share this morning's experience.
Saturday mornings, we usually go to the Farmer's Market here in town around 7:00 since Sam is up anyway. This morning, Sam slept until 7:30 (wonder of wonders), so we decided to eat breakfast before going.
Bad idea.
The Market was packed. There was no strolling through the aisle, you were carried along by the current. Nervous about losing Sam in such a crowded place, we asked him if he wanted to sling or wear his monkey. He opted for the monkey, so we slipped it on his back and he and I wandered the Market's perimeter while Joy picked out our produce.
Right off the bat, a grandmotherly lady stopped me to ask where I found Sam's harness. She related how grand it was using one for her children, and now that she had a new 10-month-old grandson, she wanted to get one for him. After I told her where and when we got Sam's, she walked away declaring she would go buy one today. Sam and I went about our business, listening to the musicians playing, talking to big dogs, sitting on the curb watching the world go by. Then a couple approached me and the husband bent over Sam and asked him: "Has your daddy taught you to lie down and roll over yet?"
Waves of fury, no, tsunamis of fury rose up to my mouth and began to pour forth with retorts like "If you have something to say about my parenting, have the nerve to say it to my face and not to my son," and "If you'd like to be responsible when my son is abducted, I'll be happy to take his harness off." But before anything could come out, his wife began talking about how great harnesses were and how her noisy neighbor was always complaining about them but had forgotten what it was like to parent and blah blah blah.
I walked away.
Now, I've mentioned how Joy and I used to scoff at harnesses, but never in my wildest dreams would I have let such a comment come out of my mouth in public or private. Memo to the nice lady at the Market this morning: your husband needs a leash for his mouth.
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5 comments:
Wow, that is so insanely rude. My son, Zameen, also has a monkey harness (we got it after reading about Sam's!), and a few people have asked where it came from, but no one has ever been that rude to us about it.
I probably wouldn't have been able to restrain the urge to say something to the loudmouth, though.
That fella doesn't need a harness. Just a muzzle.
Years ago I wondered why people would put harnessed on their toddlers, but I do now. All you have to do is read the news.
I'm just sorry Sam didn't say, "no, Daddy wouldn't teach me that. But maybe you need to learn how to sit, stay, and heel."
Ewwwww!!! (shaking fist) These sorts of comments get me in trouble because I have a very hard time not saying something right back! You did well, Andrew. And you posted about it without being mean. Very nicely done.
I'm impressed you held your tongue. Like Jaime, I don't know if I could have stayed quiet.
I probably would have said something if the man's wife hadn't been there talking over his rude comment. I decided that they really weren't worth my time that day. Another day? Who knows.
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