Things I've Decided
You remember how all the parents brought their toddlers to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3? (The one where Will Turner makes out with Elizabeth's thigh and then there are the faces that she makes? Yeah. Explain that one to your 6-yr-old.) Those same people brought their little kids to see Les Miserables at the Pioneer Theater on Monday. I really don't know what these people are thinking of. First off, that thing is long. Like forever long. It ended at 11pm on a school night. Second off, there are the prostitutes and the swearing and the raunchy innuendo. And it's also maybe kind of boring for the kiddies who can't follow along unless their dad whispers (loudly) the plot as it goes.
I realize that parents are the ones who decide what their kids are mature enough to handle (or too young to notice), but come on. If you don't know yet what's going to be in a play or movie then why would you bring your young kids for a blind viewing and just assume it's going to be fine? If you're the one who really wants to watch the movie, then get a sitter. Don't drag the whole gang along and call it Family Togetherness Time. I've decided that's stupid. And so are they.
The other thing I've decided is that it is Not. Even. Cool. to turn up at someone's place of work when you want to flirt and/or ask them out. It just isn't. It's especially not cool to turn up at my place of work. Because it's not like I have an office where I can entertain (or hide from) gentleman callers. Also, it's just not fair. It's not fair for someone to turn up and monopolize my time just because they know where and when I work and because I'm an open target there at my desk. It's not fair, either, to put me in a position where other people (like, say, my boss, and the people I supervise) can notice and overhear what's going on and then speculate about my dating life, which I actually prefer not to discuss at work. Also, what if I wanted to turn the date down? How can I do that with sensitivity and tact when a) I've been caught on the spot, b) everyone can hear exactly what I say, and c) I have no desire to reject someone in a public setting where it might be embarrassing for them. (Not that the person in question seemed to take any thought as to what might be embarrassing for me.)
(Note: My real friends are always welcome to come see me. I will totally brush off work for them! Unless I'm in the middle of an actual real thing and can't. Which sometimes happens. And if Ioan Gruffudd wants to turn up then I will brush off actual real things. Because a girl has to have priorities.)
I'm Steph, a librarian and mom of 3 (not sure how that happened). Let's chat books, food, Sumptuous Literary Adaptations, poop, knitting and maybe some crazy Mormon Feminism.
12 comments:
You've given a good list of reasons why people shouldn't flirt with you at work. Perhaps some of those are also the reasons they do it. And therefore, they deserve what they get...
Glad to see your priorities are straight :)
Sorry, it won't happen again :(
Dude--totally with ya' on the parenting thing; because you know, since we don't have children we know what's best. But seriously, I can't for the life of me understand why parents bring small children to graphic and/or suggestive movies. I can only guess what they're watching at home. And what's up with the parents who let their kids go to see Pirates 3 at midnight....on a school night!?!
So, who's the tactful guy? Perhaps you could accept his offer then call him later and reject him. Maybe he'll get the hint that it is NOT a good idea to just show up to one's work....unless you are in fact actually dating.
Well, if he's praying out loud in public, he probably can't be expected to know too much about public decorum--hence the visiting at work.
You should get one of those shirts with an LED display and you can type your thoughts out on your shirt:
Go Away
No
Guarding My Carnal Treasure
Hello? Don't You Get It?
Watch Your Own Kids
...and the like.
What the heck? I don't even know the stories you're blogging about. I feel so out of the loop and not a part of your life anymore. So sad.
I feel so bad for the poor kids who are out late in public, especially when they get tired and start acting tired and then their parents get all mad at them because.
So you have to talk to me and you have to say yes? Are you working tomorrow? I'd better get there quick before the rush hits. Get ready to be checked out!!! Thank you for allowing anonymous comments. You've really made my day.
My friend and I went to see Snakes on a Plane opening night. Yeeeeah, there was some mother next to us who was on her cell phone during the entire movie and her poor little four-year-old girl spent most of the movie shrieking, covering her eyes and hiding behind her teddy bear. *sigh*
Uh... I think that I will still consider you a friend even if my parents took my siblings and me to see Les Mis in Toronto (with Colm Wilkinson et al) when I was 10 and my youngest brother was 7. I'll have you know that my little brother cried at the end because he was paying attention, he was understanding what was going on, and he was emotionally involved with the characters. Also, my parents told us about the bad song about prostitution beforehand, so as to prepare us and let us know that prostitution is not good.
So anyway. I think you may have called my parents stupid. You know my email address if and when you would like to send an apology.
Cicada, I'm glad you rightly identified this post as a direct attack on your parents. Because that's exactly where I was going with it. In fact, you're probably making up that bit where they were already familiar with the play and explained to you what you were going to see and knew that you were mature enough to handle it.
Nice try, though!
It's out of control how there is no separation of adult world from kid world anymore. I was involved with a conversation with some adults, and the subject was a particularly vicious rape case that had happened locally, and this conversation was being held in the company of the homeowner's 15 year old. Can you say inappropriate? I couldn't bring myself to even discuss it. Whatever happened to "kids, please excuse us now?
Ugh.
The other thing, I can honestly say it never happened to me (flirting at work), and by your description, it's something I'd rather not have. Really.
Post a Comment