More Wisdom From Keith

So 2011 isn't starting out all that keen really, thus I thought I'd turn back to Keith for guidance and help as I sort my way through the chaos that is my life.

The day started out simply enough, we were going out to brunch on New Years Day. We were going to one of our favorite local spots where the food is delicious.

It was pouring rain, so I grabbed the boys and the husband snatched the baby carrier and we dashed inside.

"Table for six please and we need a high chair."

Now, that SEEMS simple enough, doesn't it? A VERY simple request. A table to accomodate six humans. Also, you are looking at us with your eyes, so you can see, that indeed we are SIX humans.

The hostess comes to fetch up and says "due to health code rules we can't turn the high chair upside down."

Ummmm, what?

She says it again - and we realize she means to put the car carrier in it (some people do this for some reason). We say "We don't want to do that. We just need a high chair."

The someone else says "You can just slide the car seat in a booth."

Again, WE DON'T WANT to do that. WE WANT A TABLE and WE WANT A HIGH CHAIR.

We get to the table and then she says "We can't put the car seat on top of the high chair" and I SWEAR I nearly exploded.

What I did NOT say was "DID I EVEN ASK YOU TO PUT THE CAR SEAT ON TOP OF THE HIGH CHAIR???"

We just said We don't WANT to we JUST WANT A HIGH CHAIR.

She's 8 months old for God's sake. She sits up. She wants to EAT BREAKFAST.

This is her seated at STEAK N SHAKE where they did NOT give us crap about a high chair.
And you know by now we've got every waiter and bus boy in the place looking at us, suddenly we're THOSE people.

Our waitress comes over and apologizes and tells us the hostess was just confused but really, the tone was set and the rest of the day pretty much went to hell.

We tried to go to the Dali exhibit at the High Museum of Art but of course it was closed. The Museum that doesn't close was closed.

We went to IKEA and the twins acted like lunatics in the restaurant and basically it was a huge disaster.

But as I reflect on the day and try to pick out a nugget of something positive to take away, I think back on the three old trolls sitting behind us at breakfast who weren't enjoying my four children whatsoever. They were busily recounting all of their medical maladies for all of breakfast (which in my opinion was FAR more offensive than my kids) and relishing one another's suffering.

But what caught my attention was "And you'll be THRILLED to know I FINALLY got my humidifier! I woke up two days ago with a nose bleed, and I HATE to wake up with stuff gushing out of my nose."...

and I hearken back to Keith who reminds us that we are ALL the same on the inside. Universally all humans are made of the same stuff.

And none of us like to wake up with stuff gushing out of our nose.