20 February 2007

Candy From a Baby?

So I went to get my taxes done, accompanied by Pam. The wait was slightly long, though not impossibly. We were just a little hungry and suddenly the little candy machine (like the ones in grocery stores but smaller) was looking really good. I had my eye on the Mike and Ike's, so I inserted a quarter and turned the knob. Out of nowhere this little girl came out with her mom, and the girl made a beeline for my candy, sticking her hand in the dispenser and helping herself. I was saying, "no, no" to her, because I was too surprised to say anything else. Then her mother grabbed her and smacked her, yelling all the time. The girl starts shrieking at the highest decibels, of course, and Pam and I just stared in disbelief. Then the happy family leaves...um, without even saying sorry to me or offering a quarter in compensation.

We couldn't help but laugh afterwards, and the rest of the waiting room joined in because that's what happens when the ridiculous happens. It made me think, though. How will the child learn how to behave when all she knows is smacking and screaming? Pretty sad. I may have been out 25 cents, but at least I got a laugh out of it while the kid learned absolutely nothing.

(I still love Mike & Ike's. My teeth don't, though.)

1 comment:

Marie said...

That's a horrible story. I mean, it did give you a laugh, but I can't help but feel that the mother first of all should have compensated you, but second all the slapping and screaming is really harmful for children. They need to be explained what they did wrong...and then slapped. Lol. Brats.