It always gets a little unnerving when they assign me to the kids' department for a long stretch of hours because well, first of all, onslaught of other people's kids. But it's doubly unnerving because kids of a certain persuasion will get casual with their parents of the same persuasian, who just let them do it and don't reprimand them for what I see as blatant disrespect. I witness exchanges such as these and can't help but wince and shudder, imagining all the whoopin's that Ma would've given me if I'd dared to talk to her the same way when I was their age.
Parent: Avery!
Avery: What. (or What? or What!)
Avery: What. (or What? or What!)
(Ma in my head: "'What'? Excuse you? You don't say 'what' to me when I call you! You say 'Yes ma'am'! Have you lost your mind?" *whapwhap*)
Parent: Quinn, come over here please.
Quinn: But I'm over here right now.
Quinn: But I'm over here right now.
(Ma in my head: "I didn't ask you where you were, I said come here! I don't know who you think you are or what you think this is, but you bettnot eva..." *whapwhapwhap*)
Pssh. I wish I would. Not in Ma's house. The "What" thing is what really makes me nervous, because it happens so often between these kids and their parents, and this was an offense that Ma especially did not appreciate from me. Do/did any of you all's parents get on you about responding with "What" when they call you? Like on a good day I could say "Huh?/Hmm?", "Come again?", "What was that?" and sometimes even "Say what now?", with the necessary tone adjustments. But if I ever try to respond with just "What", then I'm in trouble. And don't ever tell Ma to wait, oh no no! You might as well just throw your life away at that point.
Seeing what their parents put up with (and in public, no less!), I'm hard-pressed to think of much that these kids of a certain persuasion would get scolded or punished for. At least not when it comes to how they address adults/their parents. I'm just glad that it's me within earshot and not Ma. Whereas my personality and my time in retail have taught me to shake my head at people in silence, Ma's tolerance for foolishness is non-existent, and she'd be liable to let fly no matter whose kid it was, paycheck or no paycheck.
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