Call Me the Clay

My 4 1/2 year old son (“A”) has been itching to go to Chuckie Cheese for quite some time now.  So I promised him we would on Friday (yesterday).  So off we went with big sis (“D”) too.  “A” was SO excited!

“D’s” boyfriend also met up with us there.  We ate pizza (and salad for me) and played games etc.  Then took off for the boyfriend’s high school football game.  The weather was perfect!

However, it was a miserable time!  Wanna know why?  I’ll tell you!

I think it’s kinda important to mention here that this school is considered one of the best in our area.  Now, I’ve never just fallen into that assumption – because I didn’t grow up here.  What I have always seen is that it is SAID to be the best because it has kids from the most affluent neighborhoods in this area.  Know what I mean?

So, what do I find when I get to the game?  A bunch of loud-mouthed, rude kids just going wild.  It was literally crazy!  And here’s something interesting.  My daughter and her boyfriend arrived to the game ahead of us because I needed to make a stop on the way.  So they met us at the gate and said, “Mom, just warning you now, this place is nuts!  These are the rudest people you have ever seen!  I hate it here!”

Now, I tend to let a lot of what “D” says roll off of me because she tends to get a little over the top at times.  But unfortunately not this time!  The entire place was packed with people.  You couldn’t hardly walk anywhere once you entered the gates, much less make it to the bleachers.  Was it because there were too many people, you ask?  No.  It was because none of them would MOVE!  They all just stood in their little clusters blocking traffic and didn’t care.

Okay, so I can ignore that once I could squeeze thru the crowd.  Or so I thought.

We finally make it to a spot on the bleachers.  It was on the 4th row from the bottom, but in the top section.  Meaning the walkway dividing the upper and lower section was right in front of us.  It was the only available space by the time we got there.

So, I expect to see foot traffic in front of us – not my first choice, but again I can live with it.  HOWEVER – they started piling up down the entire length of the stadium in that walkway!  It was awful.  You couldn’t see a bit of the game.  Kids of ALL ages, meaning most should have KNOWN how to conduct themselves were running and jumping on each other.  Not giving a care to who they trampled in the meantime.

Yes, there were security guards there to ensure safety….but I believe they must have been hanging out at the concession stand or something because we never saw one until the last 5 minutes of the game.  He finally came around to ‘remind’ them that they weren’t supposed to stand in the walkway – per the signs everywhere.

Not only that – but those who were in the bleachers behind us would literally JUMP OVER US in an attempt to hop over the rail to get into the mob on the walkway!  I can’t tell you how many would jump, stomp or push their way over our shoulders and feet – and NEVER say ‘excuse me’ or ‘I’m sorry’ or anything!  Even if we said something to them – they just looked at you like we were speaking a foreign language!

My son got scared.  Hell – it made us all feel as uncomfortable as all get out!  Oh, and you know how USUALLY when your team scores, you jump up and applaud etc?  Well my daughter and her boyfriend did that during the only ONE touchdown we could actually see.  And what happened?  Some jerk of an adult yelled at them to ‘sit down’ – and they had just stood up!  Really!?!?!?

Needless to say…we will NOT be back to the ‘rich kid’ school games anymore.  Not if they act like animals!  It was SO hard to try to explain to my young son why people were acting in such a rude and ugly manner when he had been taught not to act that way.

We will go back to our little middle-class school games.  At least people are kind and respectful there.

So – today we are off on another adventure with the kids.  I’m SURE this will be much more fun.  Then church (we go to Saturday service). And then, it’s video game night.  The teens are coming to play games at our house ALL NIGHT LONG! I should be nice and tired by tomorrow, huh?