disturbed
i was disturbed by a clearly disturbed young man while at central park in schenectady. the kids were playing in the little kid fenced in area and i was sitting on a bench when i heard a kid crying on a swing. it took me a bit to figure out what was going on but eventually i observed that the kid did not want to be on the swing. the boy was probably 3. his dad had him strapped into one of those huge blue and yellow plastic swings designed for kids with disabilities and the dad was pushing him up high. at one point the swinging slowed and the mom, who was pushing a content younger sibling on another big blue swing, said "what are you crying for? do you want to go home?" the kid stated the obvious "yes" and was briefly released from the swing only to be recaptured and forced back into the swing by dad. there was one more bout of freedom and swing terror before they finally decided to give the boy his wish.
as this family made its way out of the gate into the parking area another family made its way through the gate into the playground. angry dad started yelling at the father of this new famiy. he told the guy "you better keep your wife under control. why did she look at me like that? does she have a problem with me?...." the tirade went on for what seemed like forever. i thought there was a good chance angry dad was going to jump over the fence and get into a fist fight. i had my phone ready thinking i might need to call the police.
once mom of angry dad's kids got the children in the car angry dad revved up his engine and left with a final incomprehensible animal scream. the new parents at the park looked at each other and had a heated exchange. i don't know what language they were speaking but it seemed like the man had a serious and harsh tone and the woman was calmer. i don't know if new dad was agitated with angry man or his wife. after he pushed his son for a bit on one of those bucket toddler swings he went to sit in the minivan and left his wife with the 3 year old boy and 1 year old daughter.
a little while later our children were playing near each other. we talked about about the difficulty of taking care of multiple kids at one time. then i told her "not that it makes his actions any less hurtful, but it wasn't just you that man was rude to. he was horrible to his son too." we both know he blew up at her not because of anything she did in the second their paths crossed at the gate. she became his new target because she wore a hijab.
i wonder if angry dad would have held his tongue if the 4 other muslim women and 1 other muslim man who arrived at the park within minutes of his outburst had been there all ready? i wonder if the new mom magically summoned these 5 other people to help her feel safer? i wonder angry dad, who was wearing military fatigues, is in active service and if so if he's pre, post, or in between deployment(s)? i hope, yet doubt, that he will get help for his wounded heart/soul/mind.
as this family made its way out of the gate into the parking area another family made its way through the gate into the playground. angry dad started yelling at the father of this new famiy. he told the guy "you better keep your wife under control. why did she look at me like that? does she have a problem with me?...." the tirade went on for what seemed like forever. i thought there was a good chance angry dad was going to jump over the fence and get into a fist fight. i had my phone ready thinking i might need to call the police.
once mom of angry dad's kids got the children in the car angry dad revved up his engine and left with a final incomprehensible animal scream. the new parents at the park looked at each other and had a heated exchange. i don't know what language they were speaking but it seemed like the man had a serious and harsh tone and the woman was calmer. i don't know if new dad was agitated with angry man or his wife. after he pushed his son for a bit on one of those bucket toddler swings he went to sit in the minivan and left his wife with the 3 year old boy and 1 year old daughter.
a little while later our children were playing near each other. we talked about about the difficulty of taking care of multiple kids at one time. then i told her "not that it makes his actions any less hurtful, but it wasn't just you that man was rude to. he was horrible to his son too." we both know he blew up at her not because of anything she did in the second their paths crossed at the gate. she became his new target because she wore a hijab.
i wonder if angry dad would have held his tongue if the 4 other muslim women and 1 other muslim man who arrived at the park within minutes of his outburst had been there all ready? i wonder if the new mom magically summoned these 5 other people to help her feel safer? i wonder angry dad, who was wearing military fatigues, is in active service and if so if he's pre, post, or in between deployment(s)? i hope, yet doubt, that he will get help for his wounded heart/soul/mind.