Perhaps, something good can come out of something blaah.
I decided to write this blog post in case it can prevent just one person from causing another person a bad day. Then, perhaps, something good can come out of something blaah.
Tonight I was out dining at California Pizza Kitchen. My husband's cousin was visiting from Singapore and we were just grabbing a quick bite before he went back to his hotel to rest up for the long journey home.
The table next to us was a child's birthday party. The first thing I noticed about it was the delicious looking sundaes on the table. Towards the end of the party the kids got rambunctious. They even had those little noise makers that people use on New Year's. The kids were out of their seats running around and giggling and discovering the wonder that is hitting someone with one of those noisemakers. I'll admit, my mother was pretty strict with me growing up and in no way would I be allowed to behave that way in any place besides Chuck-E-Cheese or McDonald's Play Place or our backyard. However, seeing as my husband and I have been discussing children my mind was really drifting more towards their smiles and laughter and "I wonder what our kids will look like." I might have baby fever. Just a tad.
Anyhow, as the group was leaving one of the mothers came up to our table and in a hostile tone stated, "This is a FAMILY restaurant. Go eat somewhere else! I guess you were never loud when you were children!"
My guest and I were both confused. He didn't understand what she had said (it was pretty loud around us), I simply couldn't understand why she said what she said.
After I wasted probably too much energy trying to figure out what just happened, I wanted to ask her what she meant, but she was already gone.
The only thing I could think of was that we were looking at her kids. I mean they were running around, almost running into a waiter or two, with noisemakers. I was probably looking too much, but like I said I totally have baby fever. I might have not had the most pleasant look on my face, but my love's cousin and I were both exhausted from a hike. On top of that, I've been missing my husband more than usual lately because he's on deployment. Sad is pretty much my default mood these days.
Anyway, I will admit I'm sensitive these days. So her meager little three sentences actually made me want to cry. And it took away any appetite I had for dinner. I wish that I were more duck-like, but I am more sponge-like. Her mean words -no matter how unfounded- were enough to ruin the rest of my evening and send me spinning into wishing that I had my husband here to just give me a hug. He would say she was just a silly lady who was stressed out and embarrassed and she took it out on me (which I know, but it sounds so much more soothing coming from him).
So next time you want to say something that isn't nice to a stranger because you make some assumption on what they are thinking, please stop yourself. You don't know what they're thinking, and you might just give an innocent bystander a miserable evening for no good reason.
--UPDATE--
My awesome old roomie shared this with me, it made me feel better!:
Tonight I was out dining at California Pizza Kitchen. My husband's cousin was visiting from Singapore and we were just grabbing a quick bite before he went back to his hotel to rest up for the long journey home.
The table next to us was a child's birthday party. The first thing I noticed about it was the delicious looking sundaes on the table. Towards the end of the party the kids got rambunctious. They even had those little noise makers that people use on New Year's. The kids were out of their seats running around and giggling and discovering the wonder that is hitting someone with one of those noisemakers. I'll admit, my mother was pretty strict with me growing up and in no way would I be allowed to behave that way in any place besides Chuck-E-Cheese or McDonald's Play Place or our backyard. However, seeing as my husband and I have been discussing children my mind was really drifting more towards their smiles and laughter and "I wonder what our kids will look like." I might have baby fever. Just a tad.
Anyhow, as the group was leaving one of the mothers came up to our table and in a hostile tone stated, "This is a FAMILY restaurant. Go eat somewhere else! I guess you were never loud when you were children!"
My guest and I were both confused. He didn't understand what she had said (it was pretty loud around us), I simply couldn't understand why she said what she said.
After I wasted probably too much energy trying to figure out what just happened, I wanted to ask her what she meant, but she was already gone.
The only thing I could think of was that we were looking at her kids. I mean they were running around, almost running into a waiter or two, with noisemakers. I was probably looking too much, but like I said I totally have baby fever. I might have not had the most pleasant look on my face, but my love's cousin and I were both exhausted from a hike. On top of that, I've been missing my husband more than usual lately because he's on deployment. Sad is pretty much my default mood these days.
Anyway, I will admit I'm sensitive these days. So her meager little three sentences actually made me want to cry. And it took away any appetite I had for dinner. I wish that I were more duck-like, but I am more sponge-like. Her mean words -no matter how unfounded- were enough to ruin the rest of my evening and send me spinning into wishing that I had my husband here to just give me a hug. He would say she was just a silly lady who was stressed out and embarrassed and she took it out on me (which I know, but it sounds so much more soothing coming from him).
So next time you want to say something that isn't nice to a stranger because you make some assumption on what they are thinking, please stop yourself. You don't know what they're thinking, and you might just give an innocent bystander a miserable evening for no good reason.
--UPDATE--
My awesome old roomie shared this with me, it made me feel better!:
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