What a Day

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Most people are "blessed" with interesting days. Sometimes I think that due to my identity, sometimes my days are exceptionally interesting. Today is a good example.

I decided to take the kids to the zoo before the weather gets too cold. Today was perfect because there was a group meeting of mothers there that I wanted to check out. So we all got dressed up, I dealt with all the fighting, gave them what to eat and off we went.

Lucky for me, right at the bus stop there was a cab with a friendly driver just sitting there. In true Israeli style, everyone who had been standing at the bus stop tried to get involved in helping me. One bubbie /grandmotherly lady offered to help with the baby, another guy tried to explain to the cabby how to close up the stroller, another was hollering at the cabby for not helping more. Oy! okay. We're in and off we go to the zoo.

So far so good. Until we get to the monkey section. The zoo was mostly empty save a family who was video taping their daughter's glee at the animals, and a Jewish man with his son. The man and son seemed a bit distant with each other. Strained. I automatically presumed a divorce case and it was his turn with the kid. While my kids were looking at the swinging monkeys the man says to his son in Hebrew, "look at those monkeys, like black folks eh?"

I was shocked. I don't know how much Hebrew my kids understand, but I was upset. That's putting it mildly. What a public embarrassment. So I spat at him and moved away with my brode.

My kids got nervous about my actions and wanted to know why I spat at the man. I was glad about that: that meant they either didn't hear or didn't understand. However, I couldn't tell them. I just said he was teaching his son bad behavior. As I recall the poor son just stood there with his head hanging down. At his tender age of about 5, he understood the obnoxiousness of his father. Too sad.

Although I was still reeling, I put on a happy face and continued our excursion so the kids will relax. Finally we got to the zoo playground and the kids played happily. I got anxious when I saw a group heading our way. It was a school of Arab children taking a trip to the zoo. What now, I thought. What new insult to bear today?

When the loud, boisterous children got to the playground it was a sight to see. Children everywhere, up on the slide, swinging on the swing, climbing bars, running on bridges, very nice. A little crowd gathered around me and a little girl asked, "what is the name of your baby?" I told her. Then she said, "what is your name?" I answered. We both smiled at each other and she ran off to play.

I finally was able to round my own kids up and told them its time to go. They really wanted to go on a slide so I backed down and let them go once. They were quite small for the slide but lots of the Arab children took my kids and gently helped them across the play bridge and down the slide. Wasn't that the sweetest?!

Then we were leaving. On our way down the grassy hill, one of my daughters started rolling down the grass. Before I knew it, many of the other children from the school came rolling down as well. It was so beautiful how they wanted to interact. Had I had more time....

Anyway, so we finally got home. The kids with their new animal toys forgot about the incident after they told Mr. Blackfirewhitefire that mama spat on someone, of course. LOL!

But days like these just leaving me wondering, how in the world can outside people judge and hate one or hate another. Those who are too emotional about the middle east situation, I think, are harboring a hatred they don't want to admit to. We are all human and want to be happy and live our lives. Those who want to fix things in the middle east are welcomed by me. Haters stay back.