Often people stop me to ask if ALL the children are mine, which usually leads to me smiling and nodding politely while thinking, "go f*#k off." I have done this while listening to perfect strangers commenting on the state of the economy and how expensive it is to raise children, I have done this after being asked if I know how children are made, I have done this while stepping on my oldest child's toes to keep him from being rude to the stranger in question. Frankly, I dread strange people approaching me in public places.
Yesterday, while at Costco, I anticipated an exchange similar to the ones vaguely described above when an older gentleman stopped me in the food court and pointed to the kids and asked, "are all these yours?" I smiled and nodded, and he said, "I bet you think you've got a lot of kids don't you? But, you don't. These kids here are nothing. Me, I've got 19, we have five sets of twins. Now, 19 is a lot of kids. I don't want to have more."
I was so pleasantly surprised. Speechless. Heh! Talk about perspective.
Open A Drawer
2 months ago
Wow. 19. I can see why he felt he was done. If I ever run into you in the real world I will be the one slack-jawed in amazement of how you do it all so well!
ReplyDeleteNo, you won't. You'll be staring at us the same way you do a car crash...horrified but riveted. ;)
ReplyDeleteDid you hug him? I probably would have hugged him.
ReplyDeleteSomeday, I will gripe about the old biddy who, after stopping me in the Kroger to ask if my girl children were twins, shook her head very sadly and said, "Well, honey, I hope you don't have any more..." Like my kids were afflictions instead of blessings. Most people are selfish and rude.