There are three types of people in this world and this weekend I ran into each one of them while I was running the roads with Pumpkin. We’ll call this post, Mommy-locks and the Three Strangers.
The first stranger is the type that is overly excitable around babies. You know the type, they tickle and poke at any baby within arm’s reach. Seriously – these people TOUCH children they do not know. It’s odd. It’s as if these people have no concept of personal space, or at least no respect for that space for anyone who can’t articulate their objection to being prodded by a complete stranger. I would love to know what is going through these folks’ minds as they are pinching my baby’s toes. Would they ever consider doing this to a grown person? On second thought, this type probably would.
I’ve had two encounters with this type recently that stick out in my mind. The first was in a local children’s store. I just took for granted the fact that the people working in this store had some appreciation for how to deal with children. Boy, was I wrong. This particular clerk wanted to tickle Pumpkin, grab her toes, and threaten to eat her up (seriously!?!?). After Pumpkin’s “go to hell” look didn’t do the trick, she actually started to fuss and almost cry AND THE WOMAN WOULDN’T STOP. I mean, come on – even if you lack the requisite social skills not to threaten cannibalism on my child, can you at least back the hell off when she tears up? I’m trying to be polite but this woman clearly lacked any sort of social etiquette gauge. How she worked with the public, I will never know.
This weekend we had a similar run in with another person in the service industry who had the same sort of completely lacking baby social skills. Now, I will give him a little more slack because he was from a foreign country, but I have to believe that even in China if a child starts to cry when you get in their face you don’t follow it up with a tickle. Universal common sense.
So, Mommy-locks says those people are straaaaaange.
On to the next equally freaky stranger. This is the person who completely avoids looking at a child. It’s as if I’m strolling around with a little Medusa waiting to zap them upon eye contact. The emotion these people seem to be feeling is somewhere between hatred and fear. I’m sure you’ve seen the type, they sort of clutch their bag to their side, move a little closer into the clothes rack they are perusing, and hold their necks in uncomfortably straight positions – eyes forward – praying under their breaths that the little human will just roll right by without noticing them.
Again, not sure what is going through their minds or how they can resist at least acknowledging my beautiful little baby. I’m not sure if somewhere in their pasts these folks have had an uncomfortable situation where they saw a baby and the mother thrust it in their arms and ran away, leaving them with a stinky diaper and a screaming child. Totally unsure but, Mommy-locks finds these people to be just as (if not more) strange than the first freak.
Then we have the third type of stranger. This is usually a mom (sorry guys) – and typically a grandma. Though not always, I did have a man in Wal-Mart just last week follow the exact MO I’m about to describe. This third type of person acknowledges the absolute beauty that Pumpkin is, usually speaks to her in a kind voice and tells her how pretty she is (at a safe distance), and tells me the same, usually with some brief anecdote about their own child/grandchild that involves their admonition that “it” goes so fast and for me to cherish these moments. Then they are gone, usually with a cute goodbye to Pumpkin.
Like the last bowl of porridge, these strangers are JUST RIGHT. These people make a new mom feel absolutely wonderful – both confirming my adoration of the cutest child on Earth and making me feel that maybe, just maybe, I’m doing something right and not annoying everyone in the mall by bringing my child there. I want to be one of these strangers in someone’s life and I hope you will too!
And honestly, it’s beyond me how anyone could resist Pumpkin? She is hands down the most adorable little GIRL (not baby) in the whole world – a walking, talking, liking and disliking, insisting on feeding herself, and even playing make-believe little girl. Just yesterday when it was time to leave to go shopping, she grabbed a purse and slung it over her shoulder and headed straight for the door. It’s the little things like that – almost every minute she is awake – that make us laugh and give us a reason to trudge through when life gets hard. She lives to make us laugh and we live to hear it. And trust me, there is nothing in this world her little hug (complete with “pat pat” on the back) cannot fix. Now, if only I could convince our dogs and the strange baby-haters in the mall that she is a friend and a not a foe (see her photo taking over the dog bed – and notice they aren’t there).
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