Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Hangin' Around the Men's Bathroom......


Last week I took 2 of my kids to the movies and of course, my 6 yr.old son had had too much coke at dinner and had to GO in the middle of the movie. Since he was about 4, he has insisted that he was "a big boy" and therefore old enough to go in the MEN'S restroom by himself, or at the very least, with his older brothers. It struck me, as I stood there in the hallway waiting for him that with 3 boys, now ages 16, 12, and 6, I have spent a lot of time standing outside the men's bathroom.

I have received a variety of reactions from both men and women as I stood there...I have waited for a boy in fast food restaurants, gas stations, truck stops and sports arenas.

I have had men smile understandingly at me (presumably fathers of small children who understand exactly why I'm there)....

I have had men glare at me, as if I'm invading their personal space by standing too close to a door I'm not allowed to enter...

I have even had a guy flirt with me...."hey there sweetie...you waiting for someone?" ....
"yes, " smiling politely, "one of my four kids".

That line always sends them packing...and it did. Not surprisingly this suave pick-up line was delivered in a truck stop in Kentucky. Real debonaire dudes hang out in Kentucky truck stops.

With over a decade under my belt of being a MEN'S room groupie, I have seen a lot of teens, guys, and old men going in and out of a wide variety of doors. That night, standing in the dimly lit movieplex hallway, watching people walking up and down, I reflected that standing RIGHT THERE, for that particular reason, was a place of honor.

I am proud to have escorted my boys to the bathroom over the years and stood guard right there, until they came back out, ready to go back to whatever adventures await them.

11 comments:

Southern (in)Sanity said...

Wow...now that is one of the things that you really don't think about. I always assumed that the women standing around out there were waiting on kids.

I can't believe some guys take that as an opportunity to try a pick-up line.

sunShine said...

Someone tried to pick you up outside a men's room? People never cease to amaze me. Having a son now I guess I will spend my fair share of time outside of them too. I have a while to go yet though.

FindingHeart said...

I get reactions when I take 4yr old CuriousGeorge into the men's room. Course, it doesn't help when she's craning her neck around to look across the urinal rows. I've mastered the "Look at the wall, sweetie" move as we duck into a stall. But I've proudly carried the flowered diaper bag into the men's room before, changed a kid, and thought nothing of it.

Now, a mom of 3 boys, I would have thought you mastered the 'car pee' like friends of mine taught their boys. (I wasn't brave enough.) They could drive for hours on end because the boys would pee into large bottles while the truck kept going. Makes me laugh.

Anonymous said...

I KNEW you looked familiar!! I hit on you while visiting Corky in Kentucky!!!

That was you, right?

=)

Kara said...

When Kendellwas that age I used to rate movies by the amount of times we had to take a potty break. A one break movie was truely a keeper.

Jodi said...

RWA and Sunshine - Keep in mind it was a truckstop in Kentucky. Kentucky guys will try anything! (laugh)

Finding Heart- We don't do the "in a bottle" thing, but I HAVE taken advantage of the convenience of "just duck behind this tree"!

Birdman - No way that guy was as goodlooking as you are! (wink)

KaraMia - I understand that rating system!

J.

Southern (in)Sanity said...

Oh, I forgot. You did say it was a truck stop.

That explains it - a little bit.

Woman with Kids said...

I'm impressed, pick up lines at a truck stop... I usually just get funny looks, mainly because I'm hollering at the closed door, "You two stop fooling around and come out here!"

Distant Timbers Echo said...

I know when I hang out in women's restrooms, I always get a variety of looks!

:D

Jodi said...

Um, you guys are kind of missing the point. The MAIN point was that I was proud to be the mother of three boys, even if it DID mean hanging around outside the bathroom....not the pickup line at the truckstop.

Here I thought it was a deep and meaningful post, and all I get are "pick up" jokes.
(sigh)

Is it Friday yet?
J.

Miss Britt said...

Awwwww... I love this.

And I've stood that guard more than a few times myself.