That Man

So today I was at Marc's (think of Wal*Mart, but local, cheaper, & shady) & when I was walking down an aisle, there was an unfit mother yelling at her child. How was she unfit? Not because she was yelling at her child, but by what she was saying.

True, she did have a high pitched banshee like scream that would make ANY child, man, or woman run away. I almost turned around halfway down the aisle to avoid the whole scene because of her yells, but unfortunately, I continued onward. As I walked by I heard, along with probably every other customer in Marc's, her berating her child to stay close & don't get lost because there are bad people in this world. She specifically mentioned murderers & kidnappers.

At this point I realized my mistake in not turning around halfway down the aisle.

As I walked by her eyes darted at me. I did not make eye contact, just looked forward beyond what was happening, when she pointed at me, looked at her child, & said the following:

"Like him. That man is going to kidnap you if you don't stay close to me."

Really?!?! I mean, REALLY?!?!?! I do not think, nor has anyone ever mentioned to me ever, that I resemble any sort of kidnapping type. & great parenting by the way. I wonder how many other complexes & fears you are going to give your child over the next few years?

Just because your child will not listen to you, & you are frustrated about it, does not mean you get to point me, someone you do not know, out as a kidnapper to your child, let alone an entire store!

I paused for a second, was about to say something, but then kept my mouth shut & kept walking. I could easily see the child start to cry/scream/whatever at the thought of me, the kidnapper, coming at him, & then his howling banshee of a mother start to yell at me for causing her child’s distress & panic. I had my items to purchase already, so I just walked away to the cash register.

Sad part is, the child still did not listen. As I was being rung out by the cashier, I heard the banshee scream, "What did I tell you!!! He will get you if you don't stay by me!!!"

Part of me wanted to go find the isle the mother & child was in, stand at the end of it with the meanest face I could make, & just point at the child. But I figured that the next ten plus years of that child’s life with the banshee was going to be hard enough, why give him a kidnapping complex as well.