Time To Dust Off My Running Shoes

It's funny, isn't it, how old people are allowed to say pretty much anything they want and they get away with it? Nobody makes them apologize or chastises them for saying something that is inappropriate. The older they get, the more they can say. I wonder if they save it all up and one day say, "hey, I'm 65 today, I think I'm old enough to tell off that checker at the grocery store", or if they don't even realize they are doing it. Do they think they are just being brutally honest, getting their digs in, or giving you helpful criticism? Or do they even know what's going on?

We flew to Miami with the kids on an evening flight. The kids had a full day of school, we picked up Charlie at the office, got ourselves and our luggage checked-in, made it through security and got settled on the plane. You never know how it's going to go, especially after a long day, but they were fantastic. Andy read a book for most of the flight, Sarah colored and kept busy with Charlie, and Amanda slept for the first half and then sat happily for the second half. We have very high expectations for our kids when we fly and they know they are supposed to be on their best behavior. I had absolutely no complaints about them at the end of that flight.

I was a little worried when we sat down about the couple in front of me. They were older and I could hear them talking about us before, during and after the flight, wondering exactly how many kids we had and commenting on on how loudly Amanda was talking. As they pointed out, she was a bit boisterous, but at least she wasn't crying. The man was very large and had a hard time reclining his chair with Amanda's car seat behind it, but he did not complain. In the end all was well and we had made it through another flight without upsetting anyone.

After the flight I ran into the wife while I was waiting for Charlie to take the older kids to the bathroom. We chatting for a bit and she was very friendly, asking questions about the kids. I don't remember the exact what was said, just simple, polite conversation. It was at the baggage claim that the real fun happened.

We arrived at baggage claim and Charlie and Andy went to get the bags. I stayed back about ten feet with the girls. The husband was nearby and started talking to me.

Husband: "So, you have five kids?" I still have no clue why he thought we had five kids. There were no other children around except our three.

Me: "No, just the three."

Husband: "And you're having another?" Yeah, not a nice question.

Me: "No, we're done."

Now, he had several paths he could have taken at this point. He could have said he thought he overheard me telling someone I was pregnant, he could have said he confused me for someone else, he could have apologized, he could have even slumped away embarrassed. No, he continued the conversation without hesitation or deviation.

Husband: "Oh, I just saw the pot (and with that he patted his ENORMOUS belly) and thought...".

I don't even remembered my response at that point. I think I just repeated that we were not having anymore, or maybe I just stared at the guy and screamed inside. OMG! I was amazed that someone could be that rude and think nothing of it.

When Charlie got back from grabbing all the bags I told him the story and he just started laughing. He couldn't stop. No trying to make me feel better, telling me the guy was wrong, boosting my spirits even a little bit. His response, "Man, I can't wait until I'm old and I can say anything I want to people and not care". Yeah, that's the lesson from this situation. When it's my turn, I'm really going to give it to them. Every time I would repeat the story for friends during the course of the weekend Charlie again would just giggle uncontrollably.

This is what I take away from my encounter. My baby is seven months old. I really can't use the excuse that I just had a baby anymore, because I didn't just have the baby. I keep telling myself I'll start exercising when I get more energy and sleep, but who knows when that's going to happen. It's not that I don't have time to exercise, it's that I don't make time. So, I need to get out my exercise clothes and my running shoes, strap Amanda into the stroller and go.

Oh, and I need to do about 300 sit ups a day.