It's ugly out there

Anyone who knows me knows that I mind my own business.  Always.  I don't involve myself in other people's lives, I'm strictly a by invitation only kind of person.  I keep my head down (literally) and move through the public blissfully ignorant of what's going on around me.  And I like it like that.  A lot.

So, to pull me into your life, you either have to be tall, dark & tattooed OR a raging fool who absolutely requires a reality check.

The lady at the store this morning wasn't really my type.

I heard this baby crying off and on the whole time I was there.  Then I caught up to them in the checkout line.  He stood, whimpering, rolling the cart inches back and forth.  Annoying?  Sure.  We've all been there.  Kids can work your last nerve.  Scratch that...kids seek out your last nerve, put a big red X on it, back up, take a running start, and break dance on your last nerve.  Every chance they get.  That's their job... Find your line and conga through it.  What is your job?  Well, in this case, it wasn't to almost dislocate his shoulder, spank him, and shove him back into the cart like the last cheez whiz can you're cramming into your overflowing trash can.  Cue the boy crying again.

I stood in the line next to hers, raised my eyebrow at her, and decided to see where this was going.

She left a couple of minutes before me, as it takes longer to weigh produce than it does to scan cans of sloppy joe mix.

In the parking lot, I find that she has removed his diaper and is spanking him through the van door.

Nope.

I've been told I'm intimidating.  Let's see...

Yep.

Look.  Everyone has a breaking point.  Everyone has bad days.  I haven't slept more than an hour at a time in almost a week.  I was nursing my venti macchiato as if it were keeping me upright at the moment this boy came into my life.  I get that.  Truly.  Kids are hard.  

Suck it the f*^% up.  If you have to remove a diaper to put your hands on a person, that's a good sign you shouldn't.  You outweighed me by at least a hundred pounds, so you had more than three people sizes up on your son, also a good sign you should keep your hands to yourself.  And, when confronted by this stranger in the parking lot, you backed down faster than you could replace his diaper - a definite sign that you shouldn't be laying a finger on that kid.

Anytime you need a reminder, feel free to replay our interaction over again in your head.  Meanwhile, give that baby a nap and redraw your breaking point.

I'm going back to my own, quiet world.  Please don't make me come out again, it's ugly out there.