Question from a Non-Mom

Back in March, I had a really great day… great mostly because I left work at an actual normal/decent time. I got to see this thing everyone had been raving about enjoying after work these days — daylight. I mean, daylight savings time or not, it is usually DARK when I finally get around to leaving work each day. Anyway, it was great and lived up to the hype. I was also in a good mood because my roommate was itching to go out for St. Patty’s and I was happy that I was getting out of work at a time that would allow me to join in the fun. We ended up celebrating at an Mexican restaurant where I was likely the most Irish person there, but we did order guacamole as something green to mark the holiday.


Anyway, coming back from work, I exited at my end metro stop, buoyed by the daylight, the promise of fun times and a solid series of good songs from my ipod’s shuffle selection. That all came to a halt when I crossed the street and saw something so disturbing to me I could not turn away. There is a little rotunda by the metro exit -- I guess you could call it a rotunda….a few benches on the perimeter and a circle of grass with a tree in the middle, raised up a bit and surrounded by some decorative stonework. In the middle of this grassy patch is a woman with a young girl (about 2 maybe?) The woman is literally yanking this little girl’s pants off and motioning how she should squat down so she could pee. Basically a plie in second position for those of you former ballet students.


I was appalled by this — is this normal mommy behavior? I could see this maybe on the side of I-95 if your child has to G-O and can’t hold in until you can pull off at a rest stop or something. But this is a public place, a completely open space with high pedestrian traffic…and there are a Potbelly’s and a Cosi about 50 feet behind her! Could you not just tuck the kid under your arm like a football and make haste for one of those places? Is this some freak thing that as a non-mom I cannot understand? Seriously, a week after, and even months later I am still completely weirded out by this situation. I don’t think this girl needs to learn the “I can pee anywhere” skill until she is at least in high school and living in suburbia where kids drink out in the woods. Not that I ever did that of course :)