...aren't U somebody's "mother?"...

"I" once encountered two young ladies verbally throwing those "he said", "she said" Missiles at one another. Well, even though it was none of my business, and I wouldn't advise most people to do so, I had to say something. Just days before, I'd seen these same young ladies posing happily in a photograph together as friends, with their small children. No "children's Fathers", or "Boyfriends", just them and their toddlers. In fact, I've never seen these fathers, but what do you think they were arguing about? You guessed it ... "Babies Daddies"... Oh, my goodness. I wanted so bad to tell them, "here you are enrolled in every government program available, for which you are eligible because you are a single mother, while "I" a hard working taxpayer, get the priviledge of paying for your lifestyle, and you have the nerve to be arguing with someone over, or because of an "absentee donor", who won't "do" for you or his child and most certainly probably won't "do" for the next person!

And wait,... let me tell you about the couple at the gas station. Their argument must have started before I pulled up to the pump, but he was outside the car, calling the female inside (with a child on her lap), whom I can only assume was his "Baby Mama" everything but a "child of God". Now my first thought was, 'if she sits there and let's him talk to her, and about her, that way, then she deserves it', because "me", "myself" ... I would have been halfway down the street before it ever "went there", and on my way about my business. No. Sister girl, locked the car doors, and rolled up the windows like all of this was just gonna go away... People are looking, traffic is slowing, ...so more people can look, and in the meantime, he's threatening her, kicking at the car, all the while on the phone to his... "MAMA" ... ??? telling her how the "crazy b___" won't open the door or get out of his car. I felt like I was in a bad reality series episode. Finally I just asked the young man, "why are you calling that girl out of her name like that?... don't you know you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar?" Now here's where it got crazy ... they both answered at the same time. I promise. He said, ... "ma'am I apologize, but she's got my son in there and all I want is my car keys, I'm sorry"... and she's saying (through a crack in the window) ... ? ..."Yea!, don't you know you can catch more flies with honey?!" ... (but yet, she's still sitting in his car?) Being a mother of sons myself, all I could think of was him going to jail, unneccessarily, and this little kid witnessing all this, would be in the middle of even more mess. But with her, as well as the aforementioned young ladies, I wish I could have rounded up her mother and asked her what she used for brains when raising her daughter, because it makes no sense that our daughters don't know how to conduct, or respect themselves. But I guess when "Mama" is still tryin' to "get hers" ... who can she look up to and what more is to be said? All I can say is, we're not doing well at all as role models. We can't conduct business without having an attitude, ... if we "do" show up for appointments, we're never punctual, but we'll have a problem if we can't be seen on time... oh, and let's not forget how we're never prepared for anything, but of course that too is someone else's fault, and we are quick to blame people we see as authority figures for our failures to do what's required of us. We berate and belittle our children in public (so guess what's going on at home ...?) We are just a mess, and so wrapped up in non-sense that our kids have raised themselves, so we shouldn't be surprised that they don't know how to act. But then again, neither do some of us...

So ... me, forever the peacemaker - stepped in where someone's mother should have already "gone" and reminded them "You are somebody's mother... you can't act like that"... What happens with the little ones, when their parent's get into trouble over nothing? A simple argument can indeed lead to something tragic occurring, we see it so often in the headlines today - so think about the examples you need to set for the little person who belongs to you. Of course, my small intervention won't make much of a difference in life-long influences and behaviors. But, if only for a moment I was able to drive that point home, who knows? Maybe years from now - that thought will have embedded itself in their characters somewhere, and as they mature in the skills of parenting, it will all make sense. Maybe when the couple from the gas station are twenty years into a marriage, they'll look back and laugh at that afternoon, and realize how ridiculous that whole episode was. ...Maybe? ...No? ... can't hurt to be a "wishful thinker?" ... get back to me on this one, cause "mysistahuseeit2" ... don't U?