If you’ve ever been publicly humiliated, you know how painful it can be. There’s nothing more dreadful than being browbeaten by a bully in public, especially if there are a lot of people watching. And when someone bullies a single mom, it’s horrible. Single moms are some of the hardest workers on the planet, in my opinion. I’ve been a single mom and to say that it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in life is an understatement. The fact is, there are a lot of opinionated jerks in the world and some people think that they can get away with bullying a single mom and her children. A father of one of my daughter’s friends addressed her in a way that I feel he’d not have done had her dad been in the picture. I called him out on it. But it’s not always easy to do that. In the fictional story below, you’ll see the perfect example of a single mom being bullied and you’ll love the part where someone comes to her rescue.
(I’m in line to pay. Customer #1 in front of me is about in his 4os, and very well-dressed in a suit and tie. Customer #2 in front of him seems to be a single mother with her child. I’m pretty shabbily dressed (day off); wearing only faded jeans, an old, novelty Star Wars shirt, and have my long hair almost covering my eyes.)
Customer #1: “Lady, can you hurry up! Some people are important and actually have places to be!”
(Customer #2 is fumbling with her money. In her cart, she only has basic groceries and what appears to be a birthday cake for her child. She mumbles something about not having enough money, and decides to leave the cake behind.)
Customer #1: “Don’t waste everyone’s time if you can’t even pay for your s***! Or maybe you need another government handout that comes from my taxes?!”
(At this point, I feel like I’ve got to step in.)
Me: “Hey man, that’s enough!”
Customer #1: “Who do you think you are? I’ll have you know I’m the [high profile position] at [large shipping company], and no one ever talks to me like that.”
(Suddenly, I become much more respectful.)
Me: “I’m so sorry, sir. I had no idea you were so important. Would you mind if I asked you for your business card?”
(Customer #1 smugly hands me his card. I see he is, indeed, who he says he is.)
Me: “And here’s my business card.”
Customer #1: “Why the h*** would I want your”
(Customer #1 suddenly goes pale, as he notices that I am co-owner of [large shipping company].)
Me: “Now that I know your name, I’ll be sure to phone your supervisor to ensure you’re put on probation. One more act like this and you’re fired.”
(Customer #1 stammers for a bit, before practically running from the store. I end up paying for the mother’s cake, and even gave them a bit extra to buy the kid any toy from the store.)
