Tuesday, September 30, 2014

When a random, well-meaning lady comes up to your kid, takes off her sock, and rubs her foot.

I've seen my friends lament on facebook about their kid getting touched by strangers.

Lament is one way to put it, but feel free to call it something else if it fits better.


I thought to myself, - wow, I'm sure glad I live in Lake County right now.
No one touches anyone here.
I may have had my previously pregnant belly touched once,
maybe twice,
by someone who I wasn't related to.

It was great!

Now, however, so many really, truly, and often adorably well-meaning
women
try to touch my baby.

The thing is,
              thus far,
                     no stranger has done it in either a weird or unwelcome way or at all.
They come close - they lean in - they make fun faces and cute noises - and they go on their way.

The body language says "IT'S A BABY HUMAN!!! GET IN MY ARMS!!!!"

The actual action is "I know I shouldn't freak you out, but I so want to hold this baby! I'm leaving!  I promise!  I want to hold the baby! I'm leaving! OK...here's a mile-long stare so you feel bad!  But don't - I'm leaving! "

It's been great, still, and then...
then...
then.

"I love feet!"

That's what a woman said to me/Suzy when she came up to us in a busy store, somewhere still in Lake County.
She proceeded to do what my title says above.
Suzy smiled,
I very uncomfortably grinned,
She walked away,
Suzy and I rolled away (shopping cart reference here),
I immediately put her sock back on and did not quit moving until we got to the cash register.

Was I caught off-guard?
Yes! yes yes yes yes yes!

Will I be caught off guard again?
NO.

And now, frankly, I have a very good excuse to be freak-out-hypochondriac-(though lovingly-kind)-Mom in any public place from here on out:

Ebola.

Good luck out there, people,
                   and don't let anyone aside from yourself
                                                                    (or your beloved...
                                                                                         or your caregiver)
                                                                                                                 take your sock off.