Pissed Off!

I felt very angry this afternoon. I’d driven to Home City to buy a new pair of walking shoes for my trip overseas which commences the weekend after this. After purchasing the shoes (New Balance, because they have fittings for wider feet), I went to the nearby supermarket to buy some groceries as this would save me from driving in again on Friday.

So I’m in the aisle where the deodorants are when I feel this tap on my lower back. I turn around and there is a little boy, about 5 years of age—an adorable kid, really. He looks at me through a pair of sunglasses and says: “Do you know . . . do you know . . . (pulling up his colourful Hawaiian shirt under which he’s wearing a whit t-shirt) . . . do you know where the kid’s toothpaste is?” At this point his mother comes around the corner with her shopping trolley. I started to answer the boy’s question, pointing to the toothpaste, which was right behind him, and his mother looks at her son then at me and I can immediately see her mind ticking over: “This man is talking to my son, he must be a child molester.” She gives me a dirty look calls her son to her side and storms off. Several times after this I found myself in the same aisle as this lady and as soon as she saw me she’d turn on her heels and get away as soon as I can. I almost expected her to call for the store security guard to remove me.

I felt abused and violated myself, and very angry that someone had convicted me of a crime I did not commit. I was completely innocent. I felt angry that this boy was made to be suspicious of me due to his mother’s reaction.

I can understand parents wanting to ensure the safety of their children. But surely there was a better way for this mother to respond than the way she did.

I’m sorry, but this has really soured my day. To be blunt: I’m pissed off!