don't be so quick to judge!

[Flynn]

So we're in Costco (the whole family) buying for the month and have a big cart. Our baby is in the cart in car seat and our toddler is following along like the champ she is. There was an older couple shopping in the area with us who were about 60+.

At a particularly chaotic moment (kids, cart, other shopper log jam, you finish the image...) DH's pager goes off and since he is on call, he tells me he'll be right back and goes to a corner out of the way. It's not a big deal to me. As we continue to shop (DH will catch up when he's done with the hospital) I catch the older couple commenting that "young people think the're so important these days....grumble grumble....leaving his wife with the kids so he can return a phone call....who does he think he is....a neurosurgeon?"

I was shocked! I was very close to them yet they were talking as if I didn't exist. We continue shopping and as we come to a T and are about to go different ways I say, "excuse me, my husband isn't a neurosurgeon, he's a heart surgeon. He was checking in on one of his patients -- a little boy who was 6 weeks premature and is less than two pounds. The boy is in critical condition." I said it with a smile and with the intention of, hey don't make quick judgements ok?

Their jaws dropped and I kept shopping!

[SueC]

Good for you Flynn!

[DCJenn]

Isn't that great!!! Good for you.

Along the same vein, I had a friend who was fluent in Spanish but is Spanish from Spain and Cuba and so don't "look" like many of the people in DC who are from Latin and Central American. Anyway, her sister was a sales clerk and some woman and her daughter starting speaking in Spanish about how slutty the sister was dressed, etc. and she turned to them and in perfect Castillian Spanish said, "Welcome to Washington, DC. The best part about living here is so many people speak Spanish." and she walked away.

I'm SO glad you said something!!

Jenn

[twinsmom]

Flynn -
Good for you!! I'm so glad you said something - that is the best way to do it, letting them know that they are WAY out of line to judge... all with a perfectly calm and collected response - those are my favorite type!!

Jen B.

[HeartRN]

:ra: :ra: Yeayyyyyy Flynn!!! Doesn't it just make you crazy?!

[fluffhead]

funny story - nice of you to be so polite - I would have said "no, he's a rocket scientist"

Good for you, Flynn!!

[BonBon]

Flynn, you rock!!! :survivor:

I miss your posts...how is life treating you these days? (to say nothing of the people at Costco )

[Phoebe]

good for you!

[Amiens]

I love your response. It's amazing how quick people are to judge these days.

Crystal

[migirl]

Re: don't be so quick to judge!

I catch the older couple commenting that "young people think they're so important these days....grumble grumble....leaving his wife with the kids so he can return a phone call....who does he think he is....a neurosurgeon?"

This is what I looked like when I read this:

WHAAAAT?!?! I can't believe people think/say things like this!!! DH takes plenty of pages/calls while we're out in public, and I've never heard of anyone saying something like this. The nerve! I'm glad you said something to them, I don't think I would have had the guts. I probably would have just bitched about it like crazy to DH later. Anyway, good for you.

[Flynn]

Dagny -- We're doing fine. Just getting used to life with an infant again. He's a good baby but darn they are a lot of work!!! I am much more a "toddler fan" mom. I like it when they can talk and walk. The first four months have flown by so I'm sure I will look back when he's a toddler and wonder where the time went!

I also am wrapping my brain around the idea of more training for DH. The job market stinks right now for CT...Cardiac especially so if you want to do Thorasic you have to distinguish yourself. Hmmm. If we did one more year it would be here, no move necesssary, and the hours would be very reasonable.

Still.....ug.

[houseelf]

...one...more...year of training? My heart and deepest sympathy go out to you.

Oh dear lord, are our husbands related with this obsession to train, train, train? Through much costernation, DH and I have carefully negotiated a contract concerning his desire to do a fellowship, one of the provisions is that he can do one two year fellowship. (He talked about doing peds and heart at one point.)

I'm so mean.

Kelly

[Vishenka69]

I would have probably said "As a matter of fact, he is!" and walked away.

I actually found myself on the offending side a few times. Once I was in a restaurant with my parents and DH and there was a woman playing the piano (which was right next to our table). I didn't think she was good and said in Russian that either she's not that skillful or the piano isn't tuned. She also has a basket with some singles on top of the piano and I joked that if I give her $1 will she stop. As soon as she finished the piece she was playing she picked up the basket and started walking around with. When she got to our table she asked us in Russian where we were from. I was so mortified I gave her $10 but neither my parents nor DH let me live this down (the incident happened 6 years ago).