George and I were in a large home improvement store and he was up to his usual, pause and stare, pick it up, pause and stare some more mode so I headed over to the paint department. After much sorting I found the color I was looking for and moved to the area where they mix your paint. (It is worth mentioning that while I was looking for that perfect color, there was a child crying like they desperately needed something and no one was willing to find out what they needed. I privately thanked my lucky stars that it wasn't my child and I may have looked over to see what the #$%#@^ was going on, but the mom was right there.) Back to the paint counter... the child is now in screaming-terrorizing mode. It was all I could do not to pick her up myself and try to calm her down but I've been too close to stealing children from situations and I've learned. I couldn't hear what the paint guy asked the woman due to the noise but I assume it was about what she wanted, as he diligently began to put the cans in the color maker thing and immediately into the paint shaker. It was now my turn. I gave him the sample and told him the finished I wanted. He began the routine but then asked if I wanted the paint with the primer in the paint and then left to get that paint.
Meanwhile, the sounds are at a fevered pitch! It's uncomfortable for everyone in the department and I'm guessing for anyone in the store, for I am sure you could hear it throughout. Then it happened. The mother winds up and smacks the child in the face with an open hand. I just stood there. I was totally in shock. The child was completely startled. A couple who just happened to be pushing their cart past the department stopped. We all looked at each other. I could tell they were upset. I was upset. Wait for it..... here it comes... out of my mouth...much louder than I normally speak... "Do you want me to do that to you?" The couple pushed the cart and the wife is gently shoving her husband in a "get out of here now" fashion. I'm alone with the mad woman. The little girl is whimpering. The paint guy comes back into his paint area. All of this happened in a matter of seconds. The mother looks up at me and says "You think you can?" OMG... I'm going to get into a fist fight in a large home improvement store! I stood there with my mouth wide open and nothing comes out. Then she's says... "That's what I thought...mind your own F#@;* business." The paint guy looks at me like "what have you done now". I still can't say anything. I'm not close to tears. I'm not even nervous. I'm just frozen. I didn't weigh out any plausible thoughts or scenarios...just completely BLANK. The paint guy gets the 2 cans out of the shaker, hands the lady her paint quickly and starts filling my order. We are starring each other down. Then, where my head went... I have no idea, I started walking toward her. She grabs her daughter's arm, leaves the paint on the counter and heads out the front doors. I have now taken about 5 steps. Out of nowhere comes George..."Hey, did you find your paint? What's wrong?" She's gone. I didn't help anything. I probably made it worse for the little girl. I look at George and the paint guy says that I almost knocked a lady's block off. He continues to tell George what happened...I say nothing. Mr. Paint Guy says that I was really brave, she could have had a gun or a knife....blah blah blah...
In reality, I wasn't brave at all. If I was really brave I would have followed her out to her car and got her license plate and turned her in to Children's Services. I didn't do anything. It left me feeling worse than if I'd done nothing at all. It highlights my time working for the Child Protection Service...and why I no longer work there. I was about to do to her what I was yelling at her for doing to her daughter and I was twice her size. This is messed up. What are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to make this world a better place? What's wrong with people?
When people do the right thing, we call it responsible. What's my policy?
Ponder that my gentle readers...
2 comments:
I have seen moments like these way too often. It's a terrible thing to witness, especially when everyone is looking and knows it's wrong and doesn't say anything. Even though you feel bad and you don't know If what you did helped, I think you really did help. Someone has to hold these parents accountable. Maybe that was embarrassing for her getting called out and maybe she will think twice before doing it again. And maybe the people who saw you take a stand will have the courage to do it next time they see a situation like that. True story by the way. Since we're on the subject. This past Saturday night around 7:30, when the mall is full of mass amounts of loud kids and teenagers, my mom and I were in line at forever 21 about to check out. The girl infront of us looked to be about 22 and she had a little boy about 2 years old. He was the cutest thing, laughing and giggling and waving. I believe my mom even made a comment to the mother about how sweet he was. She rolled her eyes like she was disgusted or something. Typical. She put him down in like she was annoyed and he started walking to the table with the shiny jewelry, just standing there not doing a thing. All of a sudden she starts cussing the baby out and and screaming I'm going to kick you a**. everyone was in shock. She then walked over to the baby (she could of easily picked him up because she had nothing in her arms) and she picked him up by his sweatshirt hood and lifted him in the air by his neck. She was choking the kid he was coughing and trying to cry. Like I couldn't believe that I was witnessing this. I looked around at a lady behind me as if to say are you seeing this too and she just nervously smiled like what are you gonna do. Well my mother has never let anyone get away with anything like this so I knew what was coming. And if anyone can dish it out, it's her. Good thing I know karate and am always prepared to use it haha just in case. She started politely but then really layed into her. By the end the mother was embarrased and the people around us were secretly clapping. She took the kid out in a hurry. The clerk at the counter wrote down the threats that the mom said to the baby, and had it on the store video as well as her name from the credit card. Even If nothing happens to her atleast people around can see that that behavior is not acceptable AND WILL NOT be tolerated. You are very brave and should be proud of what you did. Too many people stand in silence, and that's not doing any good either.
I just wonder...if they can treat a child like this in a public place..what do they do to their children when they are in the privacy of their own home. I know we as adults have some really bad days in our lives but it is still no reason to take anything out on a child.
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