Teach Your Children Well

Once a week, I go to Subway to get my comfort food after a long day of working in the house and shopping for groceries.  There are four Subways to choose from within walking distance of our house, but I have become fond of one in particular because the workers are always really friendly and professional.  If you've ever gone to Subway, then you know there are some 'sandwich artists' who rush through, cut the bread unevenly, or forget to give you napkins.  This particular spot, however, completes their work 100% satisfactorily and has Ohio-worthy customer service.  That is they did until two days ago.  It appears that they hired a new guy and he skipped out on their impeccable customer service training.  When I ordered my sub--a BMT on Italian herbs and cheese with American cheese, all the vegetables, and mayonnaise--the first man in the assembly line was very cordial.  When he asked, "Toasted and cheese?"  I said, "Cheese, please, but not toasted."  I really hate the feeling of toasty crumbs on my hands.  The new guy with an untucked shirt, man number two in the assembly line, decided that instead of continuing the sandwich compilation, he would add his two-cents about my choice of non-toastation.  He very curtly said, "Not toasted?  That would taste like ____."  And in the blank, goes a curse word that rhymes with hit.  I could feel my face get really hot because I was in shock.  So, I just looked at man number one, who was equally embarrassed to be in this position, and said, "Well, I've been ordering it this way for 24 years," because I felt like I had to defuse the situation.  What I wish I would have done is just walk out and said, "Nevermind about the sandwich."  Since I didn't though, I had to let guy number two put the vegetables on and then pay him for my apparently horrible-tasting sub.  Now, I'm sure that things like this happen in the United States in towns where people are raised by wolves.  I was just infuriated by the most base form of customer interaction I've encountered here so far.

On very seldom occasions, Lee and I go to the cinema close to our house.  Last Sunday, a day after Guy Fawkes Day, we went to see The Lion King in 3-D to reminisce childhood songs and memories.  As we were almost home, three doors down from our house in fact, a man and his young son opened their front door and had a huge firework rocket targeted toward the sky.  It was just about lit when the father noticed Lee and I on the sidewalk, I mean shooting range.  He reluctantly allowed us to pass to safety before setting off the firework and as we rushed past, we heard the little boy say, "Dad, don't light it--it will smell up the whole house!"  We were grateful as we heard the last attempts to stop the madness, and as Lee pointed out, 'the only voice of reason' in that scene.  The boy's cries were to no avail since just as we reached our door, the sound of a firework screeched through the air.

As if to make up for the insanity of the wolf-man at Subway and our pyrotechnic neighbour, our dear friend Stuey stayed at our house last Saturday for a weekend visit.  He was obviously raised with some class because he sent very nice text messages thanking us for the good company and tasty food.  Stuey is not just polite to us but to everyone he meets.  I'm thankful that Lee has lots of gracious, sophisticated friends that have similar values to my upbringing.

I had a dream this week that Lee and I had a baby boy we named Evan.  In the dream, I was sobbing and Lee asked me what was wrong.  All I could say is that I was sad because our time with Evan was already determined and we were running out of time.  Now, we're not having a baby, but it is true that our time with anyone is already determined.  We don't know how much time we have with another person be it husband, wife, child, family member, or friend.  In the time we do have with them, though, we should try to make it as rich and full as possible.  Especially with children, show them love and teach them well so that we can lessen the number of wolfpacks and rocketmen in the world.

Below is a link to a Crosby, Stills, and Nash song, Teach Your Children and a picture from our cinema adventure.

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcoOQAhwF80

Probably a firework misfire...