Mind Slap

How to recognize kindness and not fall victim to a predator. 

With out society in such upheaval regarding the inhumane treatment of the human race it is becoming ridiculously hard to stop and be neighborly with people. 

  Walmart encounter

 Saturdays are the errand days of my week. Unless there is a scheduled appointment or an emergency, week days are for work and car pool. Stopping into the grocery store more than twice a week adds additional chores to my schedule. This is something I've enjoyed for decades, it's my way of getting in and getting out. Crowds, long lines, and caos are avoided at every cost in my home. Schedules and list provide sanity and the feeling of accomplishment. 

 Saturday August 18, 2018 started pretty well, no rush to get out the door getting prepared for laundry, meal prep and groceries. This Saturday is overcast with a Texas chance of rain. This is nothing to worry about, Texas rain comes in 15 to 20 minute drops. The last time it rained consecutively for more than 45 minutes had to be a week day. Week days inside the office when it rains is not as memorable as Saturday rain' not for me it isn't, it may be for others. 

The car is packed with my to do list, I head out to complete each task. I didn't get out of the driveway good before the rain started. Proceeding to the laundry mat the rain gets harder, the skies turn black but it's only 4 pm! Laundry complete headed to the grocery store as it gets darker and darker outside. Wow everyone is standing outside of Walmart looking at the sky. Some shoppers are actually capturing it on their phones. I waited inside the car for a while to see if it was going to let up. I could barely see the car next to me it was coming down so hard. While parked I begin to look for the umbrella I find it lodged between the back seat and the trunk. I can't remove it from the front seat and I would need to get out, stand in the rain; while tying to dislodge it from the space it is stuck in. No way! I grab a blanket and wrap my 10 month olds head up while she is harnessed to my chest. We get out and run to the door. She's upset that her head is covered and starts fighting to get it off as I run through puddles of water to get to the over crowded door of the store. 

I finished my list and it's still pouring down rain outside, I'm not going back out there yet! I find a couple of plastic bags and some napkins in the meat isle. Dry my feet then put them in the plastic bags before putting my shoes back on. They were soaked and squeaking. At this point I'm just perusing each isle while planning on what can be stored and what can be thrown out at home. 

 The cart is filled to the top so now to the check out hopefully the rain will break so that I can get to the car and unload before it begins again. Packing the cart getting ready for the trip to the car. 

As I stand ready to pay a shopper stops and asked if I needed any help to the car. I reply no I' m fine I can handle it. She reply's I was helping people get to their cars that didn't have an umbrella. I was walking by and said I wanna help this lady because she has a baby with her. 

    She waited beside me and started giving me the plan on how to get to my car and how she was going to help me. At this point my 10 month old grand child is in the cart seated and strapped in with the carts safety belt. She has a cracker and is watching the interaction between the shopper and myself. As I put the last few items in the cart, grab my purse and begin to walk out of the store. She says here you can hold the umbrella over her head and I will push the cart to your car for you. I can unload your groceries while you get the baby in the car. 

   I'm cautiously stating to the shopper that she does not have to do that. I can manage to get to the car on my own. I grabbed the blanket that I had wrapped on the babies head when we entered and told her I will put the blanket back over her and we will be fine. I removed my grand baby from the cart and turn her around to place here back in the harness. My 10 month old is the cutest baby in the world, people see her from miles away, run over to her and start a conversation with me. While this is very sweet and flattering, she is not the friendliest of babies when it comes to strangers moving in to close at the wrong time for her. She takes one look at the kind stranger and starts to scream! At this point the shopper starts to try and comfort her, I told the shopper that she doesn't know her  and she was making her nervous. I hurry to get her strapped and grab my keys. I except the shoppers umbrella and proceed to my vehicle. As we arrive I hand it to her, she says I will put your groceries in for you and you can put the baby in the car. 

   I get my granddaughter in the car and hurry to the back to finish the loading of the groceries. The shopper has placed everything in the trunk and closes the trunk. I told her thank you so much and I really appreciate your help. She told me that she saw me and wanted to help me because I had a baby and I did not have my umbrella. She told me I was welcome and that she was going to take the cart to the cart return for me. I thanked her for that also, we both went our separate ways..

Being Cautious or being rude

Caring for a small child it is my nature to make sure that I protect her at all cost. There are some very good people in the world which was proven by the shopper whose heart was so full that she helped a stranger.  I also enjoy helping others when I can, it makes you feel really good. No matter how big or how small, lending a hand to lift someone up does the mind and the body good. My reluctance to accept the shoppers help in todays society where children are being abducted and sold into child pornography or being stolen and sold to people that have not been able to have their own children will always out weigh immediate acceptance of kindness from strangers. I'm being cautious not rude, if you approach people and they don't know you don't take it personal if they refuse your kindness. Be kind and walk away with knowing you offered kindness.