Читать книгу Life Is a 4-Letter Word - David A. Levy - Страница 19

The Empty Threat

It was a stressful morning at “The Happiest Place on Earth.” The lines were long, and the tempers were short. Although it was still morning, the heat was already sweltering, and the air was thick with the bedlam of manic kids and the already-frayed nerves of beleaguered parents. And this was just waiting to buy a ticket.

My family — parents, siblings, and I — had woken up early that day to make the expedition from Los Angeles to Anaheim in our station wagon. Brimming with excitement, we trekked our way through the never-ending parking lot toward the grand entrance. We ever-so-slowly snaked our way toward the turnstile. The anticipation was excruciating. Then, just beyond the bars of the front gate, we finally caught our first magnificent glimpse: Lo and behold, The Magic Kingdom!

But thwarting our passage into the Promised Land was The Chaos Family: three unruly youngsters and two haggard parents. The oldest kid — he looked to be about seven, maybe a couple of years younger than I — was being particularly rambunctious. His arms, legs, hands, and mouth all seemed to be traveling in different directions simultaneously. (And this was years before ADD had become all the diagnostic rage.)

The mother was clearly on her last nerve. In sheer desperation, she snapped, “If you don’t behave, we are not going to Disneyland!” The kid froze in his tracks and locked eyes with his mother…for all of about one second. During that momentary sliver of time, it was truly remarkable how much that kid conveyed without ever uttering a single word: “Yeah right, Mom.” “Oh, this again.” “How stupid do you think I am?” “That’s pathetic.” “Did somebody say something?” He then promptly returned to his business of being an out-of-control, unruly kid — as if the exchange never even happened.

Once I became a parent myself, I grew to have much more empathy for that poor mother. I now know what it’s like to feel utterly desperate, frenzied, and powerless. But I also

understand — even somehow admire — her kid’s reaction. In his eyes, she had long since lost all credibility. And with it, his respect. Empty threats are worse than none at all. And that brief but powerful look he shot her…I never want to be looked at like that. Sadly, however, it really doesn’t matter what I want. Being a parent, you somehow just find a way to get used to it.