so we are down on the beach...
down on the beach following a similar pattern as a few days prior
we are down on the beach with our boogie boards and then we decide to get lunch
I go to Grotto's Pizza and get a carry out large pepperoni pizza
the pizza comes...
I grab some plates, some crushed red peppers, and some grated parmesan
when I get to the boys on the beach perched on our towels it happens
it happened on Friday and it happened again on Monday
I showed up with a large pepperoni pizza from Grotto's Pizza and then it started to storm
thunder, lightning, and rain
clear the beach storm
and we have a pizza... with crushed red peppers and grated parmesan
being ready... already anticipating things I was ready
respecting the dangers and not wanting to be in the mob I was ready to evacuate
we were ready
we were on our feet and mobile before the guards blew their whistles
people started to move... dark clouds gathering aggressively overhead and light intermittent drizzle
I sent the boys ahead as I gathered things together
I sent each of the boys with a boogie board and a towel to the shower on the boardwalkd while I closed up our camp
when I got to the boardwalk I stepped in the queue at the shower
my boys were at the shower and there was a line
so I got in line
then the guy in front of me said... "come on... it is not a public shower!"
or something to that effect
so I took to the front of the line by my boys' side and asked Dean if he had gotten all the sand off his body and if he had washed the salt water off his boogie board
then instructed Grant to get in the shower
with Grant in the shower I could not contain myself
I looked towards the young man who could have been 16 or could have been 26 and explained things
"if there were a sign here it would read PUBLIC SHOWER"
"right here is the SHOWER HEAD... THIS IS THE SHOWER... AND THIS IS PUBLIC!"
I looked at him again... he was bold... but he needed to step down
he challenged me by saying that it was in fact "a foot bath"
so I continued....
gesturing to the different spouts...
the various spouts and the different buttons
I broke things down until after he backed off
I was aggravated that he had been impatient with my sons
it is a father's job to be impatient with their sons!
when the boys were done... I showered up... then we went on our way
still a bit irked by this guy at the "public shower"
no only was this guy wrong... he was also wrong in his effort to guide the behavior of a child that was not his own
I fully agree to the whole "it takes a village" thing
but.... it does not take a village idiot
that guy was and is the village idiot
we all need to accept that the people in front of us are using the shower
he needs to wait his turn
it is public
it is a shower
because someone is smaller than him
because someone is younger than him
none of these things should give him any right to start bossing people around
we have also found ourselves in line at the shower
stuck behind people spending more time than we wish them to
but we accepted their hair washing and their effort to get the sand out of their suits
they got their turn
just as we would like to get ours
I wonder if this guy washed any more than his feet
down on the beach following a similar pattern as a few days prior
we are down on the beach with our boogie boards and then we decide to get lunch
I go to Grotto's Pizza and get a carry out large pepperoni pizza
the pizza comes...
I grab some plates, some crushed red peppers, and some grated parmesan
when I get to the boys on the beach perched on our towels it happens
it happened on Friday and it happened again on Monday
I showed up with a large pepperoni pizza from Grotto's Pizza and then it started to storm
thunder, lightning, and rain
clear the beach storm
and we have a pizza... with crushed red peppers and grated parmesan
being ready... already anticipating things I was ready
respecting the dangers and not wanting to be in the mob I was ready to evacuate
we were ready
we were on our feet and mobile before the guards blew their whistles
people started to move... dark clouds gathering aggressively overhead and light intermittent drizzle
I sent the boys ahead as I gathered things together
I sent each of the boys with a boogie board and a towel to the shower on the boardwalkd while I closed up our camp
when I got to the boardwalk I stepped in the queue at the shower
my boys were at the shower and there was a line
so I got in line
then the guy in front of me said... "come on... it is not a public shower!"
or something to that effect
so I took to the front of the line by my boys' side and asked Dean if he had gotten all the sand off his body and if he had washed the salt water off his boogie board
then instructed Grant to get in the shower
with Grant in the shower I could not contain myself
I looked towards the young man who could have been 16 or could have been 26 and explained things
"if there were a sign here it would read PUBLIC SHOWER"
"right here is the SHOWER HEAD... THIS IS THE SHOWER... AND THIS IS PUBLIC!"
I looked at him again... he was bold... but he needed to step down
he challenged me by saying that it was in fact "a foot bath"
so I continued....
gesturing to the different spouts...
the various spouts and the different buttons
I broke things down until after he backed off
I was aggravated that he had been impatient with my sons
it is a father's job to be impatient with their sons!
when the boys were done... I showered up... then we went on our way
still a bit irked by this guy at the "public shower"
no only was this guy wrong... he was also wrong in his effort to guide the behavior of a child that was not his own
I fully agree to the whole "it takes a village" thing
but.... it does not take a village idiot
that guy was and is the village idiot
we all need to accept that the people in front of us are using the shower
he needs to wait his turn
it is public
it is a shower
because someone is smaller than him
because someone is younger than him
none of these things should give him any right to start bossing people around
we have also found ourselves in line at the shower
stuck behind people spending more time than we wish them to
but we accepted their hair washing and their effort to get the sand out of their suits
they got their turn
just as we would like to get ours
I wonder if this guy washed any more than his feet