People Will Surprise You.....So Allow Them Too

People will surprise you, but you have to let them.  I have been learning that lately.  Listen to understand, and people might surprise you.   

No, my beautiful grandson is not in jail and he is not in a cage.  He is looking proud because he made it to level 3 of the McDonald's climbing structure.  A year ago at this time, he would go in the climbing structure and then go one level down (floor level) and he would hang out in the "basement" of the structure.  Also, last year, he was afraid of slides.  This year, he is fearless.  I saw him at McDonald's and I saw the wheels turning in his mind.  He looked up at the cars and figured out the only way was up through the climbing structure.  He almost got to level 4 but it was just too much of a difference.  Of course, I am biased but going from level basement to level 3 was pretty fantastic.  

That was not the only surprise at McDonald's.  In the play palace, they always assign an employee to help and clean up as things happen.  The employee assigned was a man in his late 70s.  When I see people over the age of retirement, I am always curious if they are working because they want to or because they have to.  This man surprised me because he was honest.  It turns out he likes the VLTs a bit too much and although he had a good career, he has found himself in considerable debt.  He is working so he can rid himself of debt.  

There were two mothers and they each had a school age child.  The children were filthy and the mothers were filthy.  I would have thought post parturm depression but both their children were school aged.  Each mother looked like she hadn't combed her hair in a week.  While there children were playing, and too old for the play structure, they were bumping my poor grandson, the mothers shared pictures on their phone and ignored their children.  I surprised myself.  I was being very judgey.  Then, one of the children started coughing everywhere and her nose was running.  She wiped her nose with her sleeve and didn't cover her mom when she coughted.  I was sanitizing everywhere with my hand sanitizer.  I also two and I offered an unopened one to the mother to use.  She declined.  That surprised me.  Flu season is coming and the best defence is hand washing, hand washing, hand washing.  If you can't do that, atleast use a sanitizer.   It is not really about choice.  It is about protecting people who don't know who may be vulnerable to the flu.  If you read my blog, you know my pet peeve is long good-byes.  The mothers told the kids that they were leaving at 12:42 and they ended up leaving at 1:02.  Yes, I timed.  I really hate long good-byes.  

Then, a grand-mother came in with her two grandchildren.  They were all wearing matching outfits.  Of course, because what looks good on two preschool girls would look great on a grandmother.  My grandson also knows how to climb in and out of his highchair so he grazes and I only keep food on his tray when he is in it in case he accidentally dumps his food.  

So, while my grandson was playing and I was attentively watching, the grandmother said that she needed a high chair and instructed the oldest to take the one next to me because it wasn't being used.  Really.  I'm sitting in McDonald's play palace with a high chair and you assume it not being used.  Genius.  My grandson came back and saw that his chair had been swiped so he went and retrieved it.  That's my guy.  

A couple of minutes later, the girls were ready to play and starting taking off their shoes.  The grandmother said that this one where you could wear shoes.  The girls pointed to my sock-footed grandson.  The grandmother told her granddaughters that they should not make assumptions because it was likely that the little boy couldn't afford shoes.  I guess we give out a poverty vibe.  I told the grandma where the cubby was that held shoes and pointed the sign out that said, "no shoes allowed in play structure".  No apology.  Not only a poor role model, she is teaching her grand-children to judge and make assumptions.  (Atleast I keep my assumptions to myself and don't speak out loud to transfer them to my grandson.)

And then a man and his son came in.  The man had enough ink on him to be featured in a reality show.  He was wearing a muscle shirt to high-light some of the work.  When he and his son sat down, he asked for his son's hands.  I was ready to intervene when they hold hands together and said grace together.  People will surprise you.  

Late last week, I blogged about Jenny Motkaluk and it wasn't particularly flattering.  Almost immediately after, her campaign team reached out to me and said up a 1:1 interview with me and Jenny in hopes of an updated blog.  I was surprised and impressed.  The woman is running for Mayor.  Yet, she mades time for a local blogger.  I am excited to meet her in a couple of hours.  I have an open mind and a few questions and am prepared to be surprised.  

Yesterday, my grandson and I attended a community meeting updating us on the progress of the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre.  No drama.  The people in opposition listened to the public and did not wear white.  No media were there devoting air time to blow hards and contributing to drama.  There was one camera man from City News and no reporter.  He was just getting people to say whatever they wanted and it would be edited later.  The FAQ was excellently prepared and answered the questions honestly.  When I attended, there were still more people in opposition that were supporters but there was little opportunity for drama.  I had to leave after an hour because my grandson wasn't very interested.  

Yet, that wasn't the surprise for me.  An older gentleman sat next to me filling out his survey.  I remembered him as being one of the loudest against the facility at the last meeting.  He kept moving closer to me and was invading my personal space.  He was filling out the survey and I was able to peek at this answers.  He was indicating strongly agree to most of the questions.  I wondered if he read the instructions correctly.  Then, I realized that he was sitting that close to me so that I could look at his answers.  In the additional comments, he wrote a paragraph talking about how he originally was not in favour of the project and now he is embarrassed.  After more reading and more reflection, he is fully in support of BORC being on the old Vimy Arena site.  

People will surprise you.  You have to be open to it.