register |  login
Loading Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Loading Tower
Blog
Blog Entry 7 of 270 Average Joe. Not.
I was born, therefore I blog. I have a sense of the ridiculous and need an outlet for that. I can be serious too and love to write little stories about little known but important people and events. And I love wildlife and travel and will always try to share those experiences. I make things up (its called fiction) and am amused when readers are duped into believing they are true.

Are you hungry enough to get along?
Contributed by: Joe McDaniel   on 5/31/2006

Stephany Blake's stories bring back many memories of being a parent. See the cute and cuddly threesome in the photo, taken in 1974 when they were, 2-1/2, 4 mon. and 13 months old.

When the oldest boy was 13 and the youngest, girl - 11, their mother passed away. For about six months after her death they got along really well, with little bickering and arguing about who gets the window seat of who gets to lick the bowl etc. . . those constant little issues of childhood. But the inevitable relapse happened one night when I took them to the Southglenn Mall for supper.

I can best describe my mood that particular evening as "tense, with a short fuse" after a busy day at work. The only reason we were eating out was because I had not had time to prepare a decent meal at home.

Anyway, we went into a restaurant (can't recall which one, and wouldn't want to give anyone free advertising), and all sat down at a booth. The waiter came over to take our order and the three kids began to push and argue about who would get which seat. I asked the waiter to give us a few minutes to decide what we wanted. He walked away and I sat quietly for about a minute while the bickering continued, with no sign of resolution.

Seeing little improvement, I quietly stood up and, without saying anything, left the restaurant, walked out of the mall and sat in the car, in the dark, in the Southglenn parking lot. I didn't have the patience to deal with the kids at that moment and didn't want to lose my composure.

I sat in the car and watched the mall entrance. After about ten minutes I saw one of the kids standing at the entrance, straining to see if I was in the car. He could only see my silhouette in the dark. He saw me, and waved to his brother and sister. They trudged sheepishly to the car and, without saying a word, got in. We drove home in silence.

They never asked for dinner and all went to bed without fanfare. The next day they told me they had searched for me in the men's restroom in the restaurant and eventually the waiter came over and told them he had seen me leave. Of course, the search for their dad had united them in a common pursuit. The urge to bicker among themselves suddenly went away.

My oldest son is 34 years old now, with three little girls of his own, ages 4-1/2 to 4 months. He still talks about the night I left them all in the restaurant. I wonder how he will deal with a similar situation in about 10 years?




SUBMIT COMMENT

Rate the above blog



Current Rating

Based on 3 user ratings.

Talk Back : submit comments to the blog

*Note: you need to log-in to add a comment or rating.

Showing 1-3 of 3 comments
Submitted By: Tabitha Dial
posted on 5/31/2006 @ 4:03:20 PM
Rated Blog Entry
I'm glad my brother and I .... usually get along! Great story, great strategy...
Submitted By: Brendan Leonard
posted on 5/31/2006 @ 2:45:30 PM
Rated Blog Entry
This is a great story, Joe.
Submitted By: Stephanie Blake
posted on 5/31/2006 @ 11:45:40 AM
(Not Rated)
Wonderful lesson, Joe. I wish I had the guts to do it...maybe next time we go to Cheeburger Cheeburger and the kids are wrecking the place...
Showing 1-3 of 3 comments
CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Joe McDaniel

Parker , CO

Joe McDaniel has posted 270 blog entries and 379 comments since joining on 9/14/2005. Joe McDaniel's average blog rating is 4.94.
SAVE AND SHARE THIS BLOG ENTRY
BLOG ENTRY RSS FEEDS
WANT TO WRITE FOR YOURHUB.COM?
Want to see the stories you write and the photos you shoot featured in the YourHub.com Thursday print section available all over the Front Range and with home subscriptions of the Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post? All you have to do is  register,  then post a story or column, start a blog or tell everyonewhat events are happening in town. We will print the best stories, columns, event listings, photos and blog entries in our print sections.

ADVERTISEMENT
Loading Ad

Loading Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Loading Ad