Ok, so I've only blogged 18 times in 2006 (half of which were in January...guess I got a good start and crapped out). I'm sorry. I bet you guys don't even "read me" anymore. I am a washed up art-teest. Alas...and I'm only 29. Which brings me to another point. I'm getting old.
So, I'm in Des Moines, Iowa this week again. You guys may remember the last time I was here (Christmastime) and I kept a log of my boredom. It's not much more exciting this time either, however my job has become much more involved in between visits, leaving me little or no time to blog, except for when I visit the home office in IOWA! haha So that's what brings me to you today bloggies...
Oh yeah, so why I'm old. Well I just can't seem to fit everything in. I can't even imagine what it would be like to have kids. On the flight here, this little brat kicked my seat the WHOLE WAY TO DES MOINES, and I had to keep reminding myself to be patient...he was just a little boy. I try to do little exercises in patience so that by the time I actually do put my crusty old ovaries to work and possibly bring Damien II into this world, I will have the patience of a young mom. :( I worry about that...getting set in my ways and not being able to adapt to a child. I just automatically expect people NOT to kick my seat or yell and throw fits for 2.5 hours straight, no matter what size they are. But you just can't hold kids to the same standards. I tried to imagine my little 2 year old sisters on a 2 and a half hour flight and what they would be like. Then I quickly tried to think of something else because that was a horrifying thought--haha. Yikes.
Anyway, here I am trying to exercise the utmost patience with this rugrat who is traveling with his clueless dad. Dad is absolutely oblivious to the possibility that he might want to mind his child and try to keep him entertained so that he's at least somewhat stationary for the better portion of the flight. No, he was out of his seat and kicking and throwing things and hitting me in the head with one of those weird bat things that stadiums are giving away at baseball games now that you knock together. The dad is happy because one of his 2 kids he is traveling with is not screaming (they all have on the same shirt, by the way, with the family's last name on the back and a number like a team. Gay.) This father has bare minimum standards where traveling with youngins is concerned. I can appreciate that, but come-on man. By the end I would have liked to sit behind the dad for just 30 mins and kick and carry on the whole time and see if he noticed. Just because it was a five year old's foot doesn't mean it wasn't terrible and it also doesn't mean its not a hard enough kick to knock over a Budweiser. MINE. Yes....its true. It happened. So sad. Anyway, moving on.
So I was trying really hard not to do much but kind of wildly look behind me, in only the way a WOMAN who is trying to send a message without SAYING anything, would (ie: the turn around to indicate to the talker in the movie theater that he/she is annoying). It's barely perceptible, but angry indeed. I was trying so hard to exercise control though. My mantra: He's only a little boy. He's only a little boy... So by the end of this flight the woman next to me was FURIOUS. I don't know why, her seat wasn't kicked nearly as much as mine, but nonetheless she turns around and tells the man: "I realize he is only a little child, but I also have realized during this flight that he is not a child with manners. Good day to you." She didn't have an English accent, though that would have been fitting, no? Anyway, the guy is just standing there clueless with this look on his face like, 'Bitch what is your problem?'. He then says, "If something was bothering you mamn, you should have said something politely during the flight." She ignored him and walked on.
SO...the question here is: who is right? I can see both sides. On one hand, she handled it well and kept her cool and didn't yell or scream or try to parent his kids or curse or anything. She just stated her issue. POST HASTE though. That's the thing. Is he right? Should she have just said something to him earlier on and then it would have been taken care of? Later on at the baggage claim she stood next to me and said, "That gentleman shouldn't have to be told that his children are behaving badly. Not if he's a full-time dad." Ahhhhh...so there we have it. She's a scorned single mom. haha No, just kidding. She's probably right. They are both right. (Meanwhile his kids are running wilding around the baggage carousel like animals). But I, naturally, not having anyone in the world to worry over but myself (well, not REALLY), thought only of myself... Should I have said something? I figure I only have a right to say something if I've walked a mile in someone else shoes. Anyone's shoes should do ;) j/k I mean if I've been a parent. What, are they not supposed to travel? Maybe they needed to fly to get where they were going. Maybe the dad was doing all he could to keep the kid under control and that was the best he could do. MAYBE, that WAS 'good' for that child. Maybe he's a terror with a raging case of Turrett's Syndrome. You just never know. Maybe he was just 5 and tired of sitting. I read once that a child will say the words, "Mom, look at me." or "Look at me" an average of a thousand times a day or some crazy # like that. That's pretty needy and antsy combined. I myself was done with that flight about an hour in and wanted to get up and run around in a circle for no apparent reason. It had a little to do with having my chair kicked 8000 times, but in all actuality, I can't handle long drives either. Just too busy. :)
So maybe we have more in common with children than we think. I think I am too busy to get it all done...mind always running...'What do I have to do next? What did I forget?' I suppose I could try for five minutes to imagine what that would be like to feel that way, but without the guilt and pressure of being an adult. That kid had a lot to get done that day and this flight was just impeding his plans (which appeared to be squirming and running around and yelling and hitting things).
So, I held my tongue and didn't say anything. I thought that was the right thing to do. What do you think? Think I should have made a fuss? I don't think it was my place (unless I was hungover then, all bets are off). But apparently, Dad thinks someone should have let a guy know. Hey, I've been on a plane with a screaming baby. I've sat next to a kid with a runny nose and cough on the metro. I've even held a 2 year old while she proceeded to try and get out of my death grip for 30 minutes straight until she just fell asleep (waking up intermittently, only to try and get away before quickly dozing back off). But I've never been a parent on the other end of that. I've never had to endure the eye rolling of people seeing me coming with my kid to sit near them. I've never had to travel with a sick or exhausted or hungry baby. So maybe if I have patience now...God will reward me in parenthood and give me good children. Please oh please oh please.
I think there is VERY little chance of that though...wouldn't you agree? ;) Y'all know me. Hey, check out this lil article. I think I might put this one in the vault for future use. I imagine I'll have a lil "loose talker" when my time comes.
Ok...gotta go squirm ;) I'll update ya later blogsters! Love to you all.
So, I'm in Des Moines, Iowa this week again. You guys may remember the last time I was here (Christmastime) and I kept a log of my boredom. It's not much more exciting this time either, however my job has become much more involved in between visits, leaving me little or no time to blog, except for when I visit the home office in IOWA! haha So that's what brings me to you today bloggies...
Oh yeah, so why I'm old. Well I just can't seem to fit everything in. I can't even imagine what it would be like to have kids. On the flight here, this little brat kicked my seat the WHOLE WAY TO DES MOINES, and I had to keep reminding myself to be patient...he was just a little boy. I try to do little exercises in patience so that by the time I actually do put my crusty old ovaries to work and possibly bring Damien II into this world, I will have the patience of a young mom. :( I worry about that...getting set in my ways and not being able to adapt to a child. I just automatically expect people NOT to kick my seat or yell and throw fits for 2.5 hours straight, no matter what size they are. But you just can't hold kids to the same standards. I tried to imagine my little 2 year old sisters on a 2 and a half hour flight and what they would be like. Then I quickly tried to think of something else because that was a horrifying thought--haha. Yikes.
Anyway, here I am trying to exercise the utmost patience with this rugrat who is traveling with his clueless dad. Dad is absolutely oblivious to the possibility that he might want to mind his child and try to keep him entertained so that he's at least somewhat stationary for the better portion of the flight. No, he was out of his seat and kicking and throwing things and hitting me in the head with one of those weird bat things that stadiums are giving away at baseball games now that you knock together. The dad is happy because one of his 2 kids he is traveling with is not screaming (they all have on the same shirt, by the way, with the family's last name on the back and a number like a team. Gay.) This father has bare minimum standards where traveling with youngins is concerned. I can appreciate that, but come-on man. By the end I would have liked to sit behind the dad for just 30 mins and kick and carry on the whole time and see if he noticed. Just because it was a five year old's foot doesn't mean it wasn't terrible and it also doesn't mean its not a hard enough kick to knock over a Budweiser. MINE. Yes....its true. It happened. So sad. Anyway, moving on.
So I was trying really hard not to do much but kind of wildly look behind me, in only the way a WOMAN who is trying to send a message without SAYING anything, would (ie: the turn around to indicate to the talker in the movie theater that he/she is annoying). It's barely perceptible, but angry indeed. I was trying so hard to exercise control though. My mantra: He's only a little boy. He's only a little boy... So by the end of this flight the woman next to me was FURIOUS. I don't know why, her seat wasn't kicked nearly as much as mine, but nonetheless she turns around and tells the man: "I realize he is only a little child, but I also have realized during this flight that he is not a child with manners. Good day to you." She didn't have an English accent, though that would have been fitting, no? Anyway, the guy is just standing there clueless with this look on his face like, 'Bitch what is your problem?'. He then says, "If something was bothering you mamn, you should have said something politely during the flight." She ignored him and walked on.
SO...the question here is: who is right? I can see both sides. On one hand, she handled it well and kept her cool and didn't yell or scream or try to parent his kids or curse or anything. She just stated her issue. POST HASTE though. That's the thing. Is he right? Should she have just said something to him earlier on and then it would have been taken care of? Later on at the baggage claim she stood next to me and said, "That gentleman shouldn't have to be told that his children are behaving badly. Not if he's a full-time dad." Ahhhhh...so there we have it. She's a scorned single mom. haha No, just kidding. She's probably right. They are both right. (Meanwhile his kids are running wilding around the baggage carousel like animals). But I, naturally, not having anyone in the world to worry over but myself (well, not REALLY), thought only of myself... Should I have said something? I figure I only have a right to say something if I've walked a mile in someone else shoes. Anyone's shoes should do ;) j/k I mean if I've been a parent. What, are they not supposed to travel? Maybe they needed to fly to get where they were going. Maybe the dad was doing all he could to keep the kid under control and that was the best he could do. MAYBE, that WAS 'good' for that child. Maybe he's a terror with a raging case of Turrett's Syndrome. You just never know. Maybe he was just 5 and tired of sitting. I read once that a child will say the words, "Mom, look at me." or "Look at me" an average of a thousand times a day or some crazy # like that. That's pretty needy and antsy combined. I myself was done with that flight about an hour in and wanted to get up and run around in a circle for no apparent reason. It had a little to do with having my chair kicked 8000 times, but in all actuality, I can't handle long drives either. Just too busy. :)
So maybe we have more in common with children than we think. I think I am too busy to get it all done...mind always running...'What do I have to do next? What did I forget?' I suppose I could try for five minutes to imagine what that would be like to feel that way, but without the guilt and pressure of being an adult. That kid had a lot to get done that day and this flight was just impeding his plans (which appeared to be squirming and running around and yelling and hitting things).
So, I held my tongue and didn't say anything. I thought that was the right thing to do. What do you think? Think I should have made a fuss? I don't think it was my place (unless I was hungover then, all bets are off). But apparently, Dad thinks someone should have let a guy know. Hey, I've been on a plane with a screaming baby. I've sat next to a kid with a runny nose and cough on the metro. I've even held a 2 year old while she proceeded to try and get out of my death grip for 30 minutes straight until she just fell asleep (waking up intermittently, only to try and get away before quickly dozing back off). But I've never been a parent on the other end of that. I've never had to endure the eye rolling of people seeing me coming with my kid to sit near them. I've never had to travel with a sick or exhausted or hungry baby. So maybe if I have patience now...God will reward me in parenthood and give me good children. Please oh please oh please.
I think there is VERY little chance of that though...wouldn't you agree? ;) Y'all know me. Hey, check out this lil article. I think I might put this one in the vault for future use. I imagine I'll have a lil "loose talker" when my time comes.
Ok...gotta go squirm ;) I'll update ya later blogsters! Love to you all.
3 Comments:
Okay..... you asked for our opinions so here is mine. When faced with the kid kicking the back of my chair I use the following technique. First, I let it happen 3 times.... this gives the parents enough time to notice and handle it themselves....Then if the 3rd kick happens I pop up, turn around, look at the child right in the eye (becuase the sudden motion always gets their attention so they are looking right at me) and with a big smile I say (not too loudly but loud enough that the child hears me) "We don't want to break the chair now do we?". Then, I quickly make eye contact with at least one of the parents (still smiling) as a swiftly return to my seat. I have found this technique works well and yet doesn't cause a scene. There you go, that's my opinion. Hope your return flight is better. -Michele
You should have taken the kid and opened one of the doors to the airplane and thrown him out. :)
No more seat kicking.
A good plane technique that I've seen in action is the demanding of another seat. Just get up and tell the stewardess you aren't sitting here anymore, you want to be moved. If there arent any extra seats, they'll find someone to switch with you. They get pissed at first but I've seen that when you hold your ground and just stand in the aisle, they cave and find you a new seat. Of course the downside is the air marshall might shoot you, but you gotta take risks in this life.
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