Desperation

Today, iLiNnUc and I went to Walmart. He had hopes of finding the elusive Hades Kerbecs and I had to purchase material for my homemade laundry detergent. As we walk through the electric sliding doors my Momma-nuc ears perked. Glancing to the right I noticed a small child at tail end of his hiccuping sobs. Not too far down on the other end, I see an adult male whom I presume to be his father... in handcuffs.

The mom in me screamed with anger. How dare they arrest a father in front of his small child! The officer must be single without children of his own. I kept thinking to myself, "They should move the child into an office with a pen and paper so he could color while dealing with the very uncomfortable situation that was his father."

There was nothing I could do... so I walked on.

While in the toiletry section I eavesdrop--you would too--on two Walmart employees. Here is the story:

The man pretended to buy groceries... scanned them, then placed them in the plastic bags Walmart provides. When the payment option arose... he walked away. After being stopped by security, the man began stammering something about how he thought his credit card went through and and he was just in a hurry. They accepted the excuse and promptly asked him for payment... which he supplied with the use of a fake check.

What is sad, is what was in his cart: rice, beans, toilet paper, milk... essential items that most of us take for granted. He didn't have beer, or electronics, junk food. He had items that his family would need.

If it wasn't for the fake check... my heart would have broken in two. I would have begged the officers to allow me to pay for his purchases. I remember being in the same spot when I was a kid... needing toilet paper and hoping the toilet paper fairy would bring some. My mom always managed--how she did it, I will never know. The momma in me was ANGRY. In this mans darkest moment, the shear act of desperation alone, should have invoked some compassion from Walmart's security team. Instead of a memory of his father in handcuffs... he should have had a small memory of something happening but not really understanding what. That is an adult issue that should have never tainted a child's eyes.

Whether you are sympathetic or not... It shows you where society is right now. Desperate people do very desperate things. Hug your family and appreciate what you have.

This has been another daily dose!