Don't Bring Me Down

So in addition to being the song of the week, this song by E.L.O. also happens to be today's title.


I don't know if it's all the hurricanes/tornados/tropical storms or WHAT... but people have been really expressive towards me. could it be that the weather's pressure systems have a direct effect on the population of Charlotte and beyond????


For example... the other day... I was in the pool with Rhena.. doing our happy-happy-squeal-holy-shit-mom-this-is-the-best-thing-EVER thing... really just minding our own business. We were good community people and said hello to folks and made some idle chit-chat. we splashed, we kicked, we floated.... all the stuff we used to do in swim class.

one of the things we also did in swim class was dunk Rhena under the water. it's harmless, and the teacher says it helps the children learn from the beginning that going under really quick doesn't have to be a scary thing.

so... not one to break tradition... I popped the pooper under a few times. One of the times I dunked her, a mom was very near by. we had been talking about the weather.. I had been admiring her 3 year old's awesome jumping ability (HOORAY FOR SO-AND-SO!!) well, while she was doting on her two children, I did the deed. it had been about a half hour since the last dunking, and her head was hot, so.. eh... why not.


The other mom turned white. for the first minute, she was speechless, grasping her chest and mouth all agape. Mind you... Rhena was FINE (F-I-N-E .....FIIIIIIIIINE... not crying.... FINE!!!!) I, of course, said hooray for my pooper, and clapped and told her how proud I was of her and hugged her and told her she did GREAT! but when I was done congratulating Rhena... I see this mom just shaking her head; starting to stutter.


Assuming she was needing some response from me... I told her that Rhena goes under the water all the time, because it was something she learned in swim class, and my husband and I want to keep reinforcing those lessons.


Concerned Mom kept shaking her head (still fucking clasping her chest, would you just knock it off already, lady???) and said... "Well, I... I... I just TURNED around, and then.. you... you... well, it was just this big SHOCK!!! .... I mean... there she was,... all happy, and then... well, then... you.... PUT HER UNDER!!!!"


While I was wiping some excess water from Rhena's face, silently counting to ten as my brain screamed "really?? no shit?? I mean, is... is.... is THAT WHAT HAPPENED????"... anyways, when I looked up, Concerned Mom had taken her two children and went to the other side of the pool.

Like I was going to make her children go under the water or something.


I dunno.... I mean... I agree that WATER should be respected. I myself don't particularly care for going in the ocean, and personally HATE lakes that have plants and dead bodies and things that grab your ankles and pull you under and stuff. Ok... so maybe I'm a *teeny* bit irrational when it comes to the ocean and the whole dead-bodies in the lake thing... but I can swim, and I don't become paralyzed with fear if I find myself in either one of them. Granted... the mental anguish BEFORE going in to either body of water is unspeakable... but this is about Rhena.. not me.


my point. Water should be respected.... not feared, though. I say respected, because one should always be cognizant of safety in the water... after all.. we're humans... we breathe AIR... not water.


I don't want Rhena thinking she can just jump in a pool without anyone around, but I certainly don't want her fearing the water, either.

But to gasp and stutter and then leave without saying another word???? I mean, c'mon... she was barely under for a full second. Where's all those nature-loving-gonna-have-my-baby-in-a-tub-cause-it's-less-traumatic-moms when I need them???

Anyways... I guess it just pisses me off that Troy and I decided several months ago the approach to water that we were going to take, and we're doing it. While this lady may not have agree with the methods of our practice... who is she to question... ESPECIALLY when my child wasn't even CRYING?????? Sure, the pooper had her usual shocked-what-the-who-the-why-the-heck look on her face... but once she got her hoorays from her momma, she was all smiles again.


oh well... I guess it's good that she showed concern. it's nice to know that I live in a community that has people that are against torturing children. But when all is said and done... she picked the wrong time, and the wrong momma to freak out with.