Turning the Other Cheek when Stupid Happens
I have a rule where if a car doesn’t go at a green light, I wait a good 5 seconds before honking the horn. I had to honk the horn today. A light little tap, if you will.
The driver stuck half of his body out the window and proceeded to flip me off the whole time while making a left turn super slowly for a good 10 seconds in front of me just to piss me off. When I pulled up next to him, he rolled down his window and yelled “Stupid bit*h!”
Josh: Mom, why did he say hi with only two fingers?
Matty: Because he has only 2 fingers Josh, that’s why.
Josh: Oh.
I didn’t get angry, I didn’t yell back at the kid who couldn’t have been more than 20. Because I knew at that very moment that his life couldn’t have been that good to do such a thing. I knew that he probably didn’t have a positive upbringing to think it’s okay to react in such a way.
I knew that if I responded in a hateful way, I would be planting the very seed in my kids that would make them view certain races and gender in a negative light.
So I just shrugged my shoulders and let out a giant sigh.
I wonder how many parents have screamed, cussed and said racist words back in frustration while the kids are in the back seat. Moments like that stay cemented in our kids minds. They hear everything. They file everything.
I refuse to put ideas in my kids heads that make them assume to know people based on the color of their skin, the country they are from and not their character.
I refuse to act with the mantra of an eye for an eye unless I really have to.
I’m learning to let things slide if it’s not worth my time to address.
And this was one of those moments.
God knows we’ve already said and done things that our kids will hopefully never repeat and do but we can try to be better everyday.
Love you long time homies and happy Monday.
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