They Didn't Clap

Yesterday at lunch we were eating at a popular deli restaurant in the area.  There's a nice big salad bar and lots of choices for both the adults and children.  I had gotten the kids settled in and they were shoving a muffin in each mouth while my husband was up placing our orders.  I heard a loud crash and the sound of a plate or two breaking behind me.  And I thought, "They didn't clap..."

I saw the lady in a moment, embarrassed or annoyed or both that she had dropped a plate, split food and was now the center of attention of everyone in the restaurant.  So why did the thought, "they didn't clap" come into my mind?  I had to think hard and then I remembered high school.  Ah yes, where everyone is so very kind to one another.  Do something stupid where other people can see you, and they'll make sure everyone else knows what a clumsy clout you are.

I remember the few times someone dropped a tray in high school.  We were all already self-conscious about everything, but given an opportunity to make an embarrassed person more embarrassed and it only takes a few mean or insensitive kids to start a round of applause that will infect the entire cafeteria.

I didn't want to clap, I liked the geeky person from the grade below me that was overweight and didn't have a lot of friends, but my friends were clapping.  What compelled them to clap and why am I now finding myself clapping?  For shame.

So there was no clapping yesterday.  We, as somewhat more civilized adults, just looked away and tried not to make the embarrassed lady feel more eyes on her while she and the staff cleaned up the mess.  Maybe we do mature as we get older.

The Big Boy Update:  Blankie Baby.  He doesn't like "loveies" much and has shown no interest in stuffed animals as comfort devices.  But he is getting more and more attached to blankets.  Not a particular blanket, but baby-sized blankets in general.  He wanted to take his blanket to breakfast today.  As we were about to walk down the stairs like we do each morning, with me holding his hand and him holding on to the rail, he said, "hold on."  It appears he's been getting advice from everyone on the traversal of steps for some time now and he wanted to let me know he's gotten the message. 

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  Milk integration.  We're starting to work in milk with her formula so that when she's a year, she's off formula all together.  She's at 1/4th milk now and hasn't seemed to notice yet.

Fitness Update:  U Can Do It (Part II) - Still with poo.  13.4 miles with my neighbor today.  We can relax because we just ran over a half marathon and the November race is weeks away.  She has a friend that's going to join us for our long runs on the weekend and we're going to drop back in miles a bit to help her build up distance.  That message in poo?  Still there, fading and being eaten by bugs but I got a shot of it today.

Someone Once Said:  If a grasshopper tries to fight a lawnmower, one may admire his courage but not his judgment.