So question to all of you parents out there: When is it okay for a non-parent person, me, step in and do some parenting? Let me give you an example: This past Friday night my mother and I were stopping at a store/restaurant to grab some dinner. We were at the end of the line and there was a couple that had three boys I'd say age 7 and younger that were running around getting into everything. The oldest two boys decided to run and jump at a lady, causing her to fall. This woman clearly had a medical diagnosis that limited her mobility. The boys did not say anything to the woman and went to playing in the cold display case. After helping the lady up and making sure she was okay my mother and I looked to see if the parents were handling the situation. They were not, they were choosing to ignore their children's actions, who by this point were playing with glass drink bottles. Needless to say my mother and I had had enough and asked the two oldest boys to leave the drinks alone and to please find their parents. The boys looked at us and we repeated ourselves. The boys left, of course said how mean we were to their parents and then enjoyed a dinner full of glares and finger pointing followed by "that's the lady who was mean to me." Let me also say that the parents nor the children never went to apologize to the lady who got knocked down. Did I over step my boundaries? I don't think I did because that was wrong of the boys. I believe it was wrong of the parents to 1) allow their children to run muck in the store and then 2) not make them apologize for knocking someone down and possibly causing major harm. The staff of the restaurant later thanked us for stepping in. I by chance ran into the lady who got knocked down and her husband two days later and they thanked me for my help and for redirecting the children. But is it so wrong to step in and do parenting when clearly it's not happening in a situation? Did I really deserve the glares and finger pointing? I don't think I did but then again I'm not a parent so I'm not sure.
Last night I had dinner at a restaurant I eat at at least twice a month. Usually I'm in a group but I was by myself. It's not often that I have time by myself right now so I welcomed the time to sit and eat food someone else cooked. I sat in the booth by myself and kept to myself. I had a book with me and my palm labyrinth so I was entertained and felt like it would be a productive time to self and with my self. But the comments from the trio of ladies across from me was anything less then pleasant. Now if you don't know me let me be clear, I am a big lady. I believe the clinical definition of my size would be morbidly obese. I am aware that I take up more physical space then I should. I don't fit into every booth in a restaurant. Believe it or not I do own a mirror and do use it even though I don't enjoy it. I am also aware that I am my size by my own doing and no one else's. I do not expect the world to accommodate me for being this way. If you want me to p...
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