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April 02, 2007
I Am The Mean One
Deb has a friend who handled herself with dignity and grace when confronting an idiot in a store earlier this year. That would be a different friend, not me. Mind you, I can be a really nice person. I like kittens and puppies, and babies. As long as no one messes with any of my pets or babies, I am the girl next door. Start up with my kids, or with the children of friends, and it's sort of like the story of the lady or the tiger. Only, in my version, there's only one choice behind those doors, and it's not the lady.
This past weekend, #1 went on his first FTX - field training exercise - with the other ROTC kids. I dropped him off on Friday afternoon. Sunday, I went to Ann Arbor to pick him up. However, he'd gotten on the wrong helicopter and so was a couple of hours late. Not a problem, I found a nice Barnes and Noble. I bought a book, found a place to get a good latte, and went to read in my car, since I was afraid the cell phone wouldn't have service inside the coffee shop.
The bookstore is located in a very crowded plaza, and parking spaces are in short supply. So, when I got back in my car and settled in to read, a man parked behind me in the aisle, got out and came up and knocked on the window of my car. I rolled down the window to ask him what he wanted.
He wanted to know if I was going to leave, and I told him that I wasn't. This didn't seem to register, because he asked again if I was leaving. I told him that in fact, I was not, so he needed to go away from my car and find himself a parking space.
This obviously wasn't what he wanted to hear, so he began yelling. He informed me that he wanted that space, and asked me why I wasn't going to leave. I told him that I was staying and that he needed to get away from my car.
"I will not go away! You haven't told me why you aren't going to leave! I want to know right now!"
Hmmm. Where I come from, that would be considered bad manners to shout at a lady like that. Anyway. I told him that #1 was on an FTX and that I was waiting to hear from him so that I could pick up my son on the U of M campus. He wanted to know what FTX was, so I explained that it stood for field training exercise, and that my son was with ROTC.
Still, he didn't leave. "What is he doing again?" he yelled.
I said,"He's on an FTX. The ROTC kids have gone to a training center in northern Michigan to practice in wooded terrain."
This is where it gets ugly.
"Oh," said the guy,"so, they have to be trained to kill babies?"
I was quiet for a minute. I quickly put down my latte, since it was still hot enough to scald, and I am embarrassed to admit that my first thought was to toss it in his face. So, I disarmed myself.
"You know," I said,"I can see this going one of three ways. I could simply ignore you, but I have an almost congenital inability to ignore assholes. I could just put my van in reverse and hit your car which you parked behind me. However, my third choice is to get out and come after you. Now, I walk with a cane so I know you can outrun me . But if I catch you, I know I can take you." And I calmly got out of my car and grabbed my cane from my back seat.
The guy started screaming,"You are crazy! You f***ng b*tch, get back in your car! You're nuts! Get away from me! You are f**ing insane!", and I just kept hobbling toward him. I didn't yell, I didn't wave my arms, and I never blinked. Finally, he ran away and jumped in his car, floored it, and nearly hit another car trying to get away from me.
At this point, another man came running across the parking lot and asked what had happened. I told him about the 'killing babies' remark, and this man said,"Why, that SOB!" and took off after him in his car. I most sincerely hope that this did not end well for the first guy.
When I finally picked up #1, I told him that I wasn't going to be on a poster for armed forces recruiting any time soon. I told him my story, and he just grinned. He knows that most of the time, the lady is behind the door. And he tries very hard to avoid the tiger.
Posted by at April 2, 2007 07:15 PM
Comments
:clap: Good for you, Cindy!
Posted by: Melanie at April 2, 2007 08:14 PM
OohRah! From one of your "north woods" cousins.
Posted by: Barb at April 2, 2007 08:18 PM
I know which Barnes and Noble you're talking about. That parking lot is always a mad house, and a lot of people get very angry with each other. Good for you for sticking up for yourself. Sorry that guy is an asshole. Ann Arbor can sometimes bring out the worst in people.
Posted by: Maria at April 7, 2007 10:31 AM
We must be twins. Both of my boys are deployed and my grandson is in Civil Air Patrol. I also use a cane to help me walk. My grandson calls me "Rambo Grannie" and my kids talks about "the Evelyn LOOK". You GO.
Posted by: Evelyn at April 10, 2007 08:05 AM
Hell Yeah!
A job well done, you've got way more control than I could have gathered. Dumbasses like that will be bowing down and praising allah as they are getting their heads whacked off in this country if they had their way. I'm from the west side of the state near benton harbor. My son is a seabee, heading to iraq in may 07. I'll have to visit this site more often.
SEMPER FI
Chris Immoos
USMC 1986-1990
Posted by: Chris at April 10, 2007 09:42 AM
Well done. I would have moved in more quickly and ended up in legal trouble. My son is a new Marine, in the Platoon Leader Class, and this pastor couldn't be more proud. If you ever get in trouble for defending yourself or your son, call on me.
Posted by: Patrick Mead at April 10, 2007 03:46 PM
My kind of mom! can,t say I would not have hit him though.after all I did raise a unite srates marine.
Posted by: audrey at April 18, 2007 04:41 PM
Yeah I could really understand your angst IF your #1 were actually a Marine but why were you the Mother of a kid in the ROTC so upset after all...This bugs me as much as the guy who yelled at you..I don't know sounds like you just wanted to get it out that your #1 is involved in the ROTC... Yeah because my Son IS a Marine INFANTRY 1/4 CHARLIE CO out of Camp Pendelton he and is Buddies are curently serving in Al-Qaim Iraq My Brother was inVietnam my Father Korea...I see people like you alot. Send your #1 to fight beside them then and only then do you have a right to stick your chest out...
Posted by: jada at April 22, 2007 11:55 PM
I apologize for the outburst just let me say stop bragging we all need to stop like it's such a great thing these young people are scared to death whether or not as Parents and Spouses we want to acknowledge it.Don't send your #1 #2 #3 or anyone else..I love my Son I am incredibly proud but every time I think about anyones Son daughter Husband Brother Father over there with every bit of news footage I grow more heartsick...This isn't some training op for them this is Real life And they are Not fighting for Freedom but they are certainly Dying for Lies
Posted by: jada at April 23, 2007 12:10 AM
Jada,
No need to apologize for saying what you feel. However, you also don't know me well enough to assume what my motivation was for writing this. I am proud of my son, that is true. I'm proud of all four of my sons, all of whom will serve their country in some way. Wheter they choose to serve in the military or in something like the Peace Corp, they all know that they are expected to give back to our country.
I posted this because one of my fears is that public sentiment will turn and our sons and dauthers will be badly treated like the vets returning from Viet Nam. My father was a WWII vet. My brother did two tours in Viet Nam, and came home to be called names and attacked in the airport. I don't want to ever see people in the U.S. doing those kinds of things to our troops again, and that was my point in writing the article.
I worry about my son- and your son, and all of the dear sons and daughters, husbands and wives who are serving. I'd be lying if I said otherwise - worrying is what moms do best. I can't really understand what you are going through, though, because your son is in Iraq. I can only tell you that you'll be in my prayers, as will your family.
Warmly,
Cindy
Posted by: Cindy at April 23, 2007 02:34 PM
Testing comments. Darn spammers!
Hope this comment works.
Posted by: James at April 23, 2007 03:38 PM
I have to say, being a parent of someone in the military is not easy at all. I work for an Insurance company where I deal with military members and their families every day and I have cousins, and friends that are deployed it is not easy and for some jack@ss to make a stupid comment about killing babies is just asinine. Too bad you didn't knock him over the head with your cane.
((HUGS))
Catherine
Posted by: Catherine P at April 26, 2007 09:42 PM
This made my day!!!
Posted by: Politics of a Patriot at May 6, 2007 03:03 PM
Keep those homefires burning, hot, hot, hot, sweet girl! :-)
Posted by: Sissy Willis at May 9, 2007 03:40 PM