So my BFF was a corrections officer before she took on the full time job of chief domestic engineer (side note, have new found respect for her crazy life..). So I'm not sure if it's her observations and work stories that have made me see all strange men who eye my children as child molesters...or if it's some sort of innate Mothering instinct. But it's there.
On Sunday I envisioned a beautiful memory filled afternoon of having lunch and going to a play at the Seattle Children's Theatre (was fabulous!!) with my girls. They wanted to wear their fancy poofy holiday dresses and I let them. We got out of the house and headed downtown to begin our adventure. Right off the bat, said beautiful afternoon took a turn as I should have expected it to. The restaurant I chose close to the theatre that has great food, is not high priced and has nice staff - well it's a pub. And it was Sunday. And how in the heck could I have forgotten that there is football on Sunday (hello, have you met my husband?). When a Mom and her two young daughters wearing ridiculous poofy fancy dresses step into a pub on a Sunday... you get some looks. And these weren't 'awww, so cute!' looks... more like 'what the?' looks... Did I mention I even paid to park in the lot across the street?
We stood for a few uncomfortable moments waiting for a table. And then we headed back to the car so we could get to the food court of the Seattle Center for some hot dogs. Oh our beautiful memory filled hot dog lunch. And this is where my creepy alert was on high. The Seattle Center for most parts of the year is geared for children. And homeless folks who want to get out of the cold. And I'm pretty sure it's a mecca for child molesters.
As we sat eating (or not eating in the case of MY children) our Frankenfurter lunch extraordinaire - I see a man dressed as a train conductor (there is a huge train inside this time of year..) pointedly staring at my girls. At first, I thought ahhh it's because of the matchy matchy dresses... and I look up again and he has not dropped his gaze. Does he want us to acknowledge his train conductor status? I'm good thanks.. and I look up again - STILL staring. Red alert, red alert - out comes the stare DOWN. The mama bear stare down. WTF dude? What are you looking at? Because you step one foot closer to me with your creepy staring and I'll shove this hot dog so far.....
So then we have some time before the play starts, so we sit down to watch the dance exhibition from a local school of dance. Girls are 6-16. For me - there is really no need for any man who is alone, without children or seemingly related to any children in the vicinity to a.) interact with strangers children or b.) sit front row of a young girls dance recital. Totally biased I'm sure, but my BFF would tell you not.
As I look around there are lots of scummy (and I mean this in the level of cleanliness) old guys watching this show. In the seats, from the stairs, loitering around. Ah man.. I'm stereotyping and I know it - but there's something for gut instinct which I have relied on and been successful with many a time before. Gut alarm is on high and I'm thinking it's time this poofy dress party train moves on.
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