The Olive Garden Incident

Liz is grimacing as she reads this, I guarantee it. But something happened Sunday night that I just can't let go. It's a condemnation of society of sorts.

We were at an Olive Garden in Nashville having dinner. Me, Liz, Aiden, Aiden's uncle David and his aunt Ester. When the pudgy couple at the table next to us emits a faint f-bomb. As Ralphy on "A Christmas Story" would say, she said the queen mother of all dirty words.

I didn't hear the first one clear. The second f-bomb I thought I heard. By the fourth one I was certain. So I morph into SuperDad.

I say, "Excuse me," as I approach the table, "but would you mind watching your language? I have a two year old son over here."

Mrs. Pudgy replies, "OH I'M SOOOOO SORRY!"

That's honestly what her reply was and it was dripping with a heavy dose of sarcasm. I thought I had been magically transported back to a third grade put down contest. I said thank you and walked away.

To my surprise, they actually stopped the cursing. But when we got to our car after dinner, they had left a note. And it read, "Maybe if your whiney son hadn't ruined our dinner we wouldn't have used such foul language."

This is where I get angry.
1) It's never, ever ok to use foul language around a child. If you're not a Christian, Catholic, Jehovah's Witness or Buddhist, I don't really care. But if you have sense enough to form words with your mouth, then you've got enough sense not to use that language around kids.

2) Aiden wasn't whiny this night. There have been nights when I wouldn't blame someone for saying something like that (well, not too much) but that night he was very good. And he was very quiet.

3) They weren't cussing because of Aiden. It's just part of their vernacular. It was everyday conversation for the Pottymouth Pudgies of Nashville, Tenn. So don't dare blame my son for your lack of class.

4) Say it to me. I know that sounds sophomoric. But honestly I wouldn't have minded them saying it to me if I would have had the opportunity to embarrass them publicly like they deserved. That's not revenge. Their behavior SHOULD have embarrassed them. It didn't. So I wanted the opportunity to fulfill karma a bit.

5) Whiny isn't spelled with an "e". I didn't know that until I just spellchecked it, but nevertheless.

There, I feel a bit better.