Wednesday, September 30, 2009

You Have To Be Joking!

Today I went to the gym, and then to the grocery store. Now it shouldn't come as a shock to anyone that grocery shopping isn't my favorite thing to do since I don't really like to cook. But if you want to eat, you have to go.

I was at the checkout counter and there was a woman bagging my groceries. She was feeling chatty and I was politely listening. But she said something so mind boggling that I wanted to just haul off and smack the stuffin out of her!

She was talking about this new thing the President has brought up about a longer school year. She said she hoped they went to school year around. I said I thought that would be horrible. I have fond memories of summer vacation. Then I asked her why she would want that? She replied..."So I don't have to deal with my kids." I thought she was joking at first and commented along that vein, but she was SERIOUS!!! (As if that wasn't bad enough she put an acorn squash on top of my stuffed mushrooms and a bottle of juice on R's chips! Gahhhh!!!)

I know lots of women who are Mothers and I fully understand that it can be exhausting at times. But as a woman who wanted children more than anything and was never able to have any, I was utterly disgusted by that comment and it was all I could do to keep my Irish temper in check today. If you don't want to "deal" with your kids, give them to me. I would be happy to invest lots of time in them and deal with them in a very loving and committed way!

5 comments:

Darlene said...

I know how you feel. I lost three babies, had one and adopted another so I'm fortunate to have kids at all and hate that so many children aren't appreciated.

You would be a good mom, you hear the things other people don't listen to.Ah well...

Heather said...

Why is it that these crazy statements are so often heard from the person ringing up your groceries?

I was in line the other night and some kid came up to the cashier (sent by his mother, who was standing a few feet away) and asked where he could find Cream Cheese... the woman ignored him for a bit and then turned and snippily told him it was in dairy... then she turned back to me and went on a 15 minute rant about the rudeness of children... and had that child been hers, how she would have given him a good and proper beating.

...Really?... a beating??? for trying to find the Cream Cheese? Had I been looking for Cream Cheese, I probably would have done the same thing the kid did, and asked.

I never know how to react to people who tell me things like that.

I love children. I don't have any of my own, and I don't know if I ever will... but I am constantly in awe of their ability to absorb information, use their imaginations and just look at the world from a fresh perspective. I just can't understand people who either hate children, or think they're just some sort of burden. It boggles the mind.

Kelly said...

I am so sorry Darlene, I can't imagine how painful that must have been. Thank you for the compliment, that was a very kind thing to say!

Heather that's just awful! Maybe they are using a new chemical in plastic bags that's making them crazy? lol

swanriverstone said...

Ugh thats sucks..!

Darlene, i am sorry to hear about your past losses, but happy to hear about the blessings you do have in your life!

Ok..I admit as a mom - I love, love, love my babies ..but honey, my kids can get on my last nerves!!- all parents go through this, I don't even wanna hear that a parent NEVER felt that way at least once.

I think when folks come across people who say those things they are just venting- cause they know they could never say that in front of their child- though i have seen some do it that made me want to just...um anyway.

I think these words comes to more of a shock to those who dont have children simply because, whether they had a choice in the matter or not, they dont have to deal with the demands, pressures, fears, spontanious surprises, physical, metal and emotional stress that comes from being a parent 24/7,365 a year, for life- these are the not so happy parts of parenting.

As a single mom myself..it's darn hard !! BUT The joys, experiences, life moments and love of course are the best things and something I would never trade for anything esp not a summer.

i LONG for the summers with my kids- although i regret being a WAHM sometimes because I still had to work even from home. This summer really ticked my eldest teen off that I had to work the whole summer just to keep the bills paid- that was rough.but you see what I mean, it's the disappointments that get you.

When I see or hear people like that I figure they must be emotional or financially drained and their children were asking a ton of things from them that they couldn't give but wanted too...

Or maybe letting off steam to another adult because they don't really have much of a support group or "adult time" to themselves and feel overwhelmed- I'm sure deep depp down she didnt mean it, but i do worry about those who are DEAD serious about feeling that way towards children, esp their own- Gives me a very uneasy feeling in my stomach and i find myself gritting my teeth praying I don't see them on the news.

Good grief I wrote a whole chapter !! sorry it was just a great topic to comment about.

Carmen said...

You hear this all to often. This year, again at the supermarket (what is it about that place that brings the worst out in people) you wouldn't believe how some parents were treating their kids, yanking them along, screaming at them in the aisles saying they couldn't wait for the holidays to be over so they would be rid of the kids (with more colourful language thrown in) It's horrible. My girls can be pains in the bum at times but I love them to pieces - I remember how hard it is when you have a decent Mum and Dad and you are dealing with all these raging hormones as you grow up so it's no wonder some kids turn out the way they do when they are treated like that :( I personally thought the holidays just dissapeared in the blink of an eye this year - there was so much more we planned and didn't get done because time just shot past.

It always seems the people most deserving of children struggle to have them and yet other people that really don't want them just pop them out willy nilly.

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