The Parking Lot Adventure

Our 4^th of July weekend was splendid! After a week of Falls Creek we hit the ground running with our annual church 4^th celebration taking place the day after our arrival at home. It was well worth the hard work though and fighting through the sleep deprivation for an awesome and exciting time of worship and teaching with other believers followed by several baptisms! Praise the Lord! We met with a few other local churches in a school gym and had a pool on site for baptisms. There is nothing better than watching the Lord move in people’s lives and hearts and seeing the captive set free!

Sunday night my family headed out to Tuterville, our 4^th of July tradition, to get some r&r and enjoy the holiday. I went to bed early, slept in late and then had a good nap the next day as well. I was more exhausted than I even realized. The rest was wonderful and by the time we headed home on Tuesday afternoon I felt I was back on track ready to get back into the swing of things. It was wonderful.

On Monday night the women folk took the older kiddos to a 4^th of July celebration at UCO. We got there about 3 ½ hours before the fireworks were set to begin and enjoyed some of the festivities. We got a parking place near the exit of a lot close to the main street. I figured we could head out quickly after the show. What was I thinking!!!!

The kiddos enjoyed the inflatables and the firework display.

They loved photographing the fireworks. Their pictures looked something like this...only about two hundred more shots. I decided to only upload two. Your welcome. :)

After all the great fun here’s how things went down. We had four children with us. The fact of the matter is that we can’t load the car as fast as some people. It was 10:45p.m. when my reverse lights came on. Certainly one of the cars would let me out of my parking place. Again, what was I thinking!!!

Slowly I would back out. Maybe if my intentions were made known to the cars, because my reverse lights obviously weren’t stating my intention of backing my little self out and joining the flow of traffic with enough clarity for these blessed American people, then maybe my movement toward their car would. I thought wrong yet again. Do you know what they did? Do you know what these cars did!? Well, let me just tell you.

The car pictured here apparently wanted to practice his freedom of selfishness  one this great american holiday by not letting me out when he could have.

This car here moved so close to the car in front of it you couldn’t have even slid a piece of paper between their bumpers. How rude! Where are the kind souls in America!?! I looked and looked but there was none.

Now, this truck...this truck. Mmm-mmm. Oh, the shame. This truck had every opportunity to let me out of my space. But no. This caused me to have a flash of the movie, The Grinch, run through my head. Remember the scene? "Hate you, Hate you, Hate you, LOATHE ENTIRELY!!!"

It was about this time.

I was still in this gear, going this speed.

When this child (photo taken earlier in the day) starts claiming she needs to do business in the bathroom. Serious business. She is two years old and can only hold it for so long. Come on people, where are the good hearted Americans!?!!! I just need to back out of my parking space.

The thought crossed my mind of waddling out of the vehicle to inform people I was having contractions. This wouldn’t have been totally untrue. Braxton hicks are technically contractions. But then again, where are the good ole Americans? If no one else was to show good character, I would. (Queue patriotic music here.)  

I would not be angered that no one was being kind. I would simply take action.

Those actions consisted of putting a pull-up on the poor child in need of a potty pronto. A preventative measure I was sure I would not regret.

Action #2 was to open the camera app on my phone and document this moment for your enjoyment. And so that when, if ever, some kind soul was to let me out of that blasted parking space that I could publicly recognize their kindness. 

Let it be known that this was the kind soul! What do you know…there are still American’s in this country that care!

Let us learn a lesson here. Have you ever heard of the phrase “Each one, Reach one”? Well in the parking lot that simply translates into “Each one, let one out”! Haven’t you people heard of the zipper method!? Let’s lay down our selfishness, yield some of our stinking rights, and all play nicely!

It was this time...

...When I got to slide the gear shift into this gear.

Next time you are sitting in a parking lot that is backed up consider my situation and think to yourself, I could be that one. I could be the kind hearted American this person needs to see right now. Think about the fact that the children in that car could in fact need to potty pronto and may not be able to hold it. Furthermore, not all mothers carry extra pull-ups. You do the math. The results of your kindness could be monumental.   

(Queue quiver in bottom lip. Visualize the whites of my eyes glass over as the tear ducts begin to swell. Hear my voice begin speaking softly before moving to a desperate sob only to return to the quiet sniffles as I end the challenge.)

Will you be the one? Please? PLEASE!? PLEEEEEAAAASSSSE! *sniff* I just want to back out of my parking space.

The end.

As my children say,

Happy Birthday Fourth of July, America!