Dude. Really?!

I guess long gone are the days of greeting customers with a genuine smile and an enthusiastic "Welcome to (fill in the blank)". I have just accepted that I don't like going out in public anymore unless it's around people I am familiar with and that I know. Plain and simple: I'm a homebody and I'm not ashamed to admit it. It seems like everyone these days-- especially the younger generation (including mine) carries that proverbial chip on their shoulder and have a "you owe me something" attitude. I was reminded of that last night.

Chad and I had to make a couple of returns to a couple of different stores. While we were out we decided to go eat at a restaurant. After my family was seated for close to 10 minutes, a waitress finally showed up to our table. She never introduced herself and never smiled. She seemed to be having a bad day. Taking our orders seemed to almost inconvenience her. It seems in my own personal thought process, that if you worked mainly for tips, you would bend over backwards if that's what the customers at your table wanted you to do. I pretty much suck spit all day at my job among many other unglamorous things that come with dentistry. Whether my day is turning out good or bad, I better paste that smile on my face and do my best to be courteous and friendly and throw out a conversation or two. Otherwise I probably wouldn't have a job.

Ethan decided to start showing out a little bit while we were waiting on our waitress to take our order. We were right next to the gigantic stack of high chairs. Chad grabbed one and put it at the end of the table to threaten Ethan with. After a few minutes the waitress rudely asked if we planned on using the highchair. I responded "possibly" and she informed us that we were not allowed to have a highchair in that section and she would have to move us. Well, that's fine, but last time I checked, the hostess-- seeing that we had a toddler-- never even asked if we needed a highchair (or a booster seat). We might have said yes. So after seeing that this apparently annoyed her I told Chad to put it back.

After my mom and I were served our salads, (there was no other food on the table at this point) we had not even taken our first bite before the manager came over and asked how we were enjoying our meal....... Um....... Well........ I'll let you know when we GET OUR MEAL. My mom looked at him, looked down at her yet untouched salad and looked back at him and said, "Well, I guess so far it seems to be okay". Dude. Really? He then comes back again before we even cut into our steaks to ask us again. No, really, dude. If I have a problem I will be sure and let you know AFTER I take that first bite.

After our mediocre experience at this mediocre restaurant, we proceeded to Target to return something I bought a couple of weeks ago. My mom and I had picked up a couple of items to purchase while we were there (after all, you can't go into Target and NOT buy anything) and Brennan proceeds to have the beginnings of a meltdown. I told Chad to take the kids on out to the car while my mom and I checked out. When Chad was almost to our van, this lady yacking on her cell phone, whipped in the parking place on the driver's side of our van. She parked so crooked and so close that Chad couldn't even get to either of the doors on the left side. She proceeds to get out of her car like she was oblivious to what she had just done still flapping her jaw on her phone. If you know Chad, you know he is the least confrontational person you will ever meet. But this just rubbed him wrong. As the lady continues on her way he politely told her that he couldn't GET INTO HIS CAR because she was parked so close and so crooked to us. I probably would have said it with a little more attitude and a lot less niceness, but nonetheless she was very upset that Chad had the audacity to politely ask her to move her car so he could GET INSIDE HIS. Again-- Dude. Really? What is wrong with people?!

That's not all. I then had to take some shoes back to a shoe store. That's all they sold. Shoes. The cashier had nothing else to do at the moment I came in to return my shoes. I always thought when you returned something (like shoes) you needed to take them out of the box to make sure they were undamaged and had no wear marks on the bottom. Apparently I have never worked at a shoe store, so I don't know much. She never asked me why I was returning them. Yet I saw her write on the form that I filled out with my name and address that I "changed my mind". She never opened the box with my shoes. For all she knows I could have put my 4 year old Adidas in there and she would have never known the difference. I could have been $32 richer with a free, new pair of shoes still sitting at home.

As I was waiting (very patiently) for the manager to make his appearance to override the transaction, a teenager came in with what seemed to be her job application filled out. I haven't held many jobs in my lifetime, but I would think even if it's to drop off an application, you might want to look decent. As in tactful. This teenager had on a very, VERY tight tank top. Which was white. She was very well developed (if you know what I mean) and had on a black bra under her VERY tight white tank top. Dude. Really? I know this isn't a high end job she's applying for, but REALLY? Of course, I don't care who you are. I don't like seeing cleavage, boobs, or anything else that would seem better equipped for the privacy of your own home. God gave us breasts for a reason. And I don't think that reason was to show them off to America. As we are all waiting on the manager at this point, one of the male employees proceeds to become VERY friendly with her. Wow. That is the future of America right there, ladies and gentlemen. We have so much to look forward to.

I want children who will be respectable, respectful, friendly, hardworking, and enthusiastic friends, employees, parents and spouses. I want them to stand out apart from the stereotypical, average human being. I just hope I survive in the meantime without pulling out my hair.

Please, God, give me the strength and the wisdom to raise my kids the way You would have me raise them and not how the rest of the world deems "the right way". Amen.