From Approval to Disgust in Less Than an Hour

 

Various articles get my attention while going down those entered on Facebook.  Today was no different as I stumbled across a photograph of a rapper surrounded by five pregnant women, all of whom he had impregnated.  Most folks would grimace at even the thought of being so reckless, much less bragging about it.  I just laughed, quietly remembering an experience from many years ago.

I had walked Lucy into the front doors of the Maternity Section of Memorial Hospital out off Interstate 10 where the Beltway now crosses.  We were about to celebrate the birth of our second child as I proudly escorted her through the waiting room and left her in the hands of the nursing staff.

When I went to find a chair to spend the rest of the afternoon in, I couldn’t help but notice there was an older gentleman sitting across from me, probably a WWII aged veteran.  He had watched as I escorted Lucy, proudly giving her a hug as she disappeared with the nursing staff.  He gave me a big thumbs up as he nodded in approval for having stood by my wife during her time of need.

A few minutes later, it might have been closer to half an hour, my sister-in-law came to sit by me in the Maternity Waiting Room.  She was also nine months pregnant as she leaned over to give me a hug.  The fellow who’d given me a big thumbs up earlier was no longer thrilled with my having ushered my wife past the hospital doors.  No, he was decidedly not thrilled.

It got even better when my partner’s wife, that being my partner at the police department, strolled into the Maternity Waiting Room.  She was also about nine months pregnant as she came over and gave me a hug in support of our anticipated arrival. 

The look of disgust from across the room was palpable.  I’d gone from, “Way to go young man”, to, “You low life scum” in less than an hour. 

Fortunately, I didn’t let my warped sense of humor take over at that moment.  I was tempted to go over and ask the fellow if he’d like to know more about the Book of Mormon. I’m sure my Bishop would have been proud of me for remaining silent as well.