Took my wife and kids for an afternoon outing to a park.. Enjoyable. On the way back we noticed a classic car show in a quaint town... We thought it would be fun to get some snacks and check out the cars.. So we did.
My sons (9 and 11) see (what I soon learned) was a '50s era roadster convertible and approached it... The owner - some guy I would guess to be in his late 70s or 80 (who knows?) is there. Kids ask if they can get in and he obliges them.. Nice right? It's not my thing but I Make some conversation- compliment the car and such...
Just thinking out loud...I ask him if he is the original owner. He says it is his wife's... And then shouts over to her "HE JUST ASKED IF YOU'RE THE ORIGINAL OWNER!!!" she just smiled and I tried to mitigate the embarrassment by adding... Maybe someone from their family was the original owner... and tried to laugh it off.
Meanwhile my wife is right there and starts preparing to take pictures of the kids in the car. The man sees what she's doing and tells her to reposition the shot so as to cut me out... Because you wouldn't want him (me) in the frame because "ANYONE STUPID ENOUGH TO ASK ME IF I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER...OMG!!!"
I just sighed and shook my head and then asked him.. "So You weren't around in the '50s huh?" He said .. "We were but we were very young". I just walked away... Meanwhile my wife n kids seem to keep snapping pics and enjoying it.. They say nothing.They catch up with me a few minutes later and my 11 year old is asking my wife "what? he called daddy stupid"?
Then subject was changed and we kept walking. Meanwhile I'm feeling humiliated. Regretting not telling him off. I'm a very big guy and this old guy called me stupid in front of my wife and kids.
My wife is extremely non confrontational and I presume just smiles and and giggled and thanked him dearly for letting our kids sit in his precious awesome car...that's her style smile and thank everyone for everything.... I am really regretting not ripping my kids out if the car on the spot and mf'ing him and his pos car in full view of both groups. Not exactly the high road.. But instead I just wandered away without rebuking him. My wife's only comments were "maybe he's just mad because you thought he looked old"
Maybe I should just laugh it off and say "that's his problem". But fact is I feel I was humiliated in front of my wife and kids did not defend myself... If I could do it over again I would retaliate and insult him back or at least stop the photo session and extract my kids... But I didn't and I regret it...
Just venting... Thanks for any thoughts.
My sons (9 and 11) see (what I soon learned) was a '50s era roadster convertible and approached it... The owner - some guy I would guess to be in his late 70s or 80 (who knows?) is there. Kids ask if they can get in and he obliges them.. Nice right? It's not my thing but I Make some conversation- compliment the car and such...
Just thinking out loud...I ask him if he is the original owner. He says it is his wife's... And then shouts over to her "HE JUST ASKED IF YOU'RE THE ORIGINAL OWNER!!!" she just smiled and I tried to mitigate the embarrassment by adding... Maybe someone from their family was the original owner... and tried to laugh it off.
Meanwhile my wife is right there and starts preparing to take pictures of the kids in the car. The man sees what she's doing and tells her to reposition the shot so as to cut me out... Because you wouldn't want him (me) in the frame because "ANYONE STUPID ENOUGH TO ASK ME IF I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER...OMG!!!"
I just sighed and shook my head and then asked him.. "So You weren't around in the '50s huh?" He said .. "We were but we were very young". I just walked away... Meanwhile my wife n kids seem to keep snapping pics and enjoying it.. They say nothing.They catch up with me a few minutes later and my 11 year old is asking my wife "what? he called daddy stupid"?
Then subject was changed and we kept walking. Meanwhile I'm feeling humiliated. Regretting not telling him off. I'm a very big guy and this old guy called me stupid in front of my wife and kids.
My wife is extremely non confrontational and I presume just smiles and and giggled and thanked him dearly for letting our kids sit in his precious awesome car...that's her style smile and thank everyone for everything.... I am really regretting not ripping my kids out if the car on the spot and mf'ing him and his pos car in full view of both groups. Not exactly the high road.. But instead I just wandered away without rebuking him. My wife's only comments were "maybe he's just mad because you thought he looked old"
Maybe I should just laugh it off and say "that's his problem". But fact is I feel I was humiliated in front of my wife and kids did not defend myself... If I could do it over again I would retaliate and insult him back or at least stop the photo session and extract my kids... But I didn't and I regret it...
Just venting... Thanks for any thoughts.
Put the internet to work for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment