And the week started out so well. This week the kids have been attending VBS at a local church (not our church, but another one i in town). The most annoying part of all VBS programs my kids have attended over the past couple of summers is the nightly pickup process. When the process is good, it's very good. When it's bad, it sucks. Last year my kids went to a VBS program that had a HORRIBLE pickup system. I debated sending them back to that church for this year's program, but relented and was happy to find they fixed their pickup system and it was much smoother this year.
Â
So this week I've sat in the extended snakeline of cars looping through the parking lot at the latest church. Throughout the week I saw parents pull into the parking lot, park, go in and get their kids, and then come out and drive off into the setting sun. Last night, rather than wait 30 minutes in the long line of cars, I opted to park and go in.
Â
As I stepped up to the front doors of the church, where kids were being escorted to the parents at the front of the car line, a VBS volunteer stopped me. "Are you here to pick up your kids?" she asked.
Â
"Yes, I am," and turned to go inside.
Â
"If you would like to go back to your car and wait in the line, I can get your kids for you when you reach the front of the line."
Â
"No, I'm just going to go in and get them."
Â
"Well, for safety's sake we'd prefer parents pick up their children in the car line."
Â
"But I've seen parents walk out with their kids and get into their parked cars and drive away."
Â
"Oh, those must have been volunteers."
Â
They weren't, but okay, I'll play along. I went back to my car and got in the car line (by now I was officially the last car in the line). As I sat there, slowly inching my way through the parking lot, I saw no less than four cars pull into the parking lot. Those parents got out, walked in, got their kids, came out and drove away. FOUR CARS. Those parents walked RIGHT BY the same woman who told me to get back in my car.
Â
Needless to say, I got angry. And it kept boiling higher with each new parent that parked and went in to their kid(s). By the time I got up to the front (more than 15 minutes later) I was livid. Actually, livid doesn't even cover it.Â
Â
As I pulled up, the woman saw me and said, "I'll go get your kids," and I said, "Um, not yet. I'd like to lodge a complaint."
Â
And ladies and gentleman, I proceeded to throw a conniption right there in the parking lot of the church hosting children for VBS this week. Am I ashamed of myself? Why no, because NO ONE ELSE WAS THERE BECAUSE ALL THE OTHER KIDS HAD ALREADY BEEN PICKED UP BECAUSE THE CHURCH LET OTHER PEOPLE PARK AND WALK IN TO GET THEIR KIDS.
Â
I won't go into too many details, but suffice to say, I let her have it. I felt the entire volunteer staff go silent as I lit into this volunteer, who calmly stood there listening to me, occasionally saying things like, "I'm sorry you are unhappy, ma'am," or "I understand your frustration, ma'am." Meanwhile, CB and CG are getting into the car, wondering what the heck is going on and why is Mama yelling at these people?
Â
I basically told the volunteer that having one standard for visitors (me) and members (most likely the people she let wander in after she sent me back to my car since I saw her happily greet a couple of them as they walked by) is unacceptable. She spouted off something about "getting children to their cars safely," to which I replied, "No one cares about my children's safety more than me. I think I can handle getting my two children from a building to a car in a crowded parking lot without injury." Other things were said, but in the end as I pulled away a volunteer called out, "We'll see you tomorrow!" to which I replied, "Not likely!"
Â
I'm sure I ended up on a lot of prayer lists last night as I drove away. *lol* Unfortunately, the kids really want to go back tonight for the last night's festivities. Fortunately, Denis has to take them since I'm going to a work party in honor of a few employees who are leaving for other pastures.  And he will probably get lots of piteous looks from volunteers who silently think, "That poor guy – married to that wild woman who yelled at us last night!"
Â
If they only knew. It could have been worse. I held back because my kids were watching. *lol*
Hey, I can see why you lost it. Volunteer lady made such an issue with you about picking up the kids the fast way…what did she expect would happen when you got to the front of the line after watching 4 people skate past her? That was inevitable.
I lose my cool about double standards like this, too. You don’t want to scream at church people, but hey. You’re human. Even church people (dare I say especially church people) need to be called out for gross injustice.
I wouldn’t call it a gross injustice – just a poor decision on her part to not follow through on the rule for EVERYONE – especially since I could SEE it happening right in front of me! *lol*