HOW RUDE (Posted in 2008)

A friend asked me to ride along to Wal-Mart today (which means I drive because he has a car and I have the big old hoopie van and way too many kids). I am enjoying my trip to Wally World...I BOUGHT A MOUSE...$12. Only took 14 trips to a store and $12 to finally be able to operate the computer in an efficient manner.

ANYWAY, I gathered my items...enjoying a truly beautiful trip to the supercenter: remembering everything, walking casually without rushing, children are behaving (I think I may have heard birds singing) and we decided it was time to check out. As I am making this decision my youngest has declared herself tired of being in the cart. She doesn't speak so her declarations tend to come out as screeches, but I knew what she meant...mommy telepathy and all that.

So, as we approach the register her screeching escalates because she has spied the lollipops. Just by chance her new word for this week in speech therapy that we have been practicing is POP so there was no mistaking what the child wanted. She can't say Mommy, but she has got pop down just fine. When I tell her "no" she begins to sign for candy like a maniac. I acknowledge her sign and again tell her no to which she begins screaming...It's crunch time...Let's check out and get to the car. My friend went to one register, I believe it was register #21, and I was off to register #27. The child is still yelling, but nothing I can't ignore...I will NOT play into her manipulation. Apparently, check-out lady #27 has never witnessed good parenting before because she looked right at #3 and said "You SHUT UP"...I was floored. I was flabbergasted...I was SPEECHLESS (which has never occurred to date)...I had no reply. Have you ever seen a movie where someone says something and EVERYONE freezes and looks at one person...I was that person. Everyone around me looked at me as if they were thinking "What's she going to do?"..."Will this girl with the cool glasses lay the smack-down upon Clerk #27?"...(I think I heard someone utter "Oh no she di-in't")...I wasn't even next in line! I was THIRD in line...She had to yell AROUND other Wal-mart shoppers to insult my child (who had no idea that she was insulted, thankfully as she was still bummed about the pop).

I did not lay the smackdown upon #27...I did nothing. I simply gathered my items and switched to check-out #25. My good friend came back, saw I was shocked/irritated/speechless and when I told him that what had happened, calmly took my children and his to the arcade with the Bob-The-Builder ride. I truly think he thought I was going to hurt the woman and didn't want to be a witness. I did not do anything to in-bred clerk #27...I simply asked check-out girl #25 #27's name and went on my not-so-merry way. When I got home I called #27's manager...he was equally shocked when I told him about the incident. He asked me if he could give me anything...I gave the righteous "I didn't call to get free things...I called to make sure this woman doesn't ever insult and embarrass another family like she did mine"...Looking back I should have tried for a flatscreen tv...Oh, well, hind-sight is 20/20. Lesson learned.