 I am an East Coast expatriate hiding out in the Midwest... I am an urban gal living in the suburbs and occasionally hiding in the country I am a yoga practitioner, fitness enthusiast, believer in the mind-body-spirit connection... I am a mid-life "revert" to the Roman Catholic faith in which I was raised and which has become an enormous source of support, encouragement, inspiration, and joy in my life... I am a mom, sister, daughter, and wife... I am an explorer; adventurous and curious about the world and people around me... I am educated in the formal sense but I gain insight through everyday living... I created this blog at a time of great fear and apprehension in my life. I chose to sustain it because of the discoveries about myself and the world around me that it has revealed. What you can expect to find here: the documentation of a love-hate relationship with the greater Philadelphia area
reminiscing about the good-ole-days (the 80's!)
complaints about my various ailments and injuries, both real and imagined
pictures and stories of gardening, decorating, shopping, sewing
my love of irony
links to kooky news stories
way too much scatological musing for sane people
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Wednesday, May 25, 2005
It Was A Raejane Kinda Day...
Anyone who has read Raejane's blog has (hopefully) both chuckled and huffed after reading her tales of the uber-rudenicks that she somehow manages to be next to in line at the supermarket or unfortunately seated next to at a restaurant. Well I had a "raejane" encounter - or NEARLY one of my own today.
I promised my daughter that we'd go to our local indoor pool after school today. We arrived at the newly-refurbished natatorium around 4pm and had fun splashing about in the "family activity pool" for awhile. After a bathroom break we returned to the pool and I realized my skin was itching from the chlorine, so I opted to sit on the perimeter with my towel while she played some more. By that time, there were plenty of other kids there for her to play with. She is a very outgoing and sociable little gal, and when she noticed two girls about her age playing ball, she sloshed over to them and said, "Hi, can I play with you?"
The first girl she asked literally glared at her then continued throwing the ball to her friend. Then my little one, not yet discouraged, apporached the other girl asking the same question, only to be met with a blank stare. My poor kiddo must have asked about 5 times to each gal, chasing them around the pool, assuming that they hadn't heard her. At that point I really stared getting pissed off! How dare these 5-year-old little brats IGNORE the very polite and amiable requests of my child! And even worse, how dare the two mothers of these girls not intervene at their apparent awkwardness, or shyness, or whatever their issue was. I called my daughter over to prevent her feelings from getting bruised and suggested that she and I leave. I also asked her what happend. She stated simply, "Mommy I asked nicely if I could play but they just IGNORED me." Now, she's a darn tough-skinned little kid, but after witnessing that rude behavior from the other girls and hearing her reiterate what I witnessed, I nearly cried, myself.
The two moms of the rude girls both appeared to be about my age: a blonde woman and a visibly pregnant gal. As my daughter and I headed to the locker room, I noticed these moms and their kids were off in that direction, as well. I had a pit in my stomach and my brain was racing with all sorts of nasty semi-scolding remarks for these women about their kids. Usually I ignore bad behavior from other people and tell my dauhter to do the same - but my hormones are in upheaval now so the adrenaline was pumping!
Fast forward to post-shower dressing time in the locker room. Somehow my daughter noticed one of the little girls at the hair drying machine and ambled up to her again to chat. I was about to reign her in from her seemingly futile attempts to engage these tight-lipped lasses when I noticed one girl had on a "Long Beach, New Jersey" sweatshirt. I asked her, "Oh, honey, did you go to New Jersey for vacation?" Again, a blank stare back at me.
Then the blonde mom intervened. She poked her head around the corner and I plainly asked HER, "Do you guys go to the Jersey shore for vacation?" Her reply stunned me, and thankfully, in a GOOD way.
"Yeah, we went last year. Hey, you're from Philly, aren't you? I think we met on a plane years ago!"
Click click WHIRRRRRR. Oh YEAHHHHHHHHH.
After much excited chatting between us, we realized that yes, we shared adjacent seats on a flight from Chicago to Philly some 3 1/2 years ago, our daughters sharing stickers and us reminiscing on being Philly expatriates here in the NW burbs of Chi-town. She introduced me to her pregnant frind, Becky, who was also quite friendly and chatty. Apparently they did not know about the snub job their respecitve daughters gave my kid in the pool and when it manifested itself in the locker room, they instructed their offspring (who, apparently are painfully shy around strangers) to "say hi and be nice."
And with the mere maternal blessing, the girls allowed my progeny to join their hairdrying clique. Meanwhile I had a nice time chatting with these two friendly women, even getting a hug from Becky after a funny remark I made. Its funny how quickly my claws retracted from my initial urge - and all because I spotted that sweatshirt.
Posted at 10:17 pm by brandy101
 | Posted by selfindulgence @ 05/27/2005 12:27 PM PDT | | Brandy! You shouldn't wear clothing advertising where your from, ever see that movie with Clint Eastwood and John Malko..whatever?
Kidding! I love coincidences like that. It's as if G-d has run out of people to stick in your life so He recycles a few. C'est la vie.
You and the hubby seriously need to head down to Butter on south Green Street. Get a baby-sitter and make the trek for your anniversary or something. And I'm not just saying that either. I go A LOT of restaurants (a new one every week) and I was thoroughly pleased with that place. The food was Midwestern enough to keep my gf from bolting, and the atmosphere was fun but refined. Beautiful, amber-honey decor.....Eh, you get the picture.
Go there! | |
| Posted by AbbyNormal @ 05/26/2005 04:56 PM PDT | | Interesting story. Small world, huh?
Before I was a mom, something like that wouldn't have phased me, now if someone rubs one of my kids the wrong way - POOL RAGE! | |
| Posted by Gigglesbee @ 05/26/2005 11:39 AM PDT | | | Ugh...I can't stand watching kids get hurt by other kids. It's so sad!!! I'm glad it turned out well for you though! :) | |
| Posted by raejane @ 05/26/2005 10:21 AM PDT | | Mommy's instinct to protect is pretty strong, I tell ya!
Thank goodness for that sweatshirt...hehe
And what a SMALL world!!!
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| Posted by Nic @ 05/26/2005 09:22 AM PDT | | | thank god you weren't packing a gun;) Pool rage amongst pregnant moms is such an ugly thing for kids to witness. BTW "a pit in my stomach" I thought it was a bun in the oven. I am so confused. | |
| Posted by The Doctor @ 05/26/2005 03:27 AM PDT | | | Hi Brandie, nice story. My daughter is very very outgoing too. She spent her first year in a Hotel and was the Baby Mascott for the Hotel for 1 year. She was always with one of the 150 hotel employees (sometimes we wouldnt see her for 2 or 3 hours, just to find her in the arms of the 6th floor maid, or the pool attendant, in the kitchen..etc. It has made her so friendly and now we live in a podunk, "the other white trash" reject - ville. I am also concerned as her attempts to play are continually rejected by other children. She is young, but gets hurt none the less. | |
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