Odd behavior
One of the nice things about being based in a place that I like is that Erin and Jack can come visit when I'm working. Thanks to an old rugby teammate, I have a sweet deal worked out for a crash pad and there is plenty of room for the whole family to come for a visit. It makes being gone for 5 days at a time much more tolerable. We have done several of these "weekends" since being based here and they are fun for all. It was on the return trip that I noticed the reason for this blog.
Erin and Jack had to catch a 5:00 flight back home. I had to fly that night, so I brought them to the airport and hung out with them until they had to get on the plane. Turns out that the 5:00 flight was delayed for an hour, so to kill the time with our restless 3 year old, we went to the playground that is on the concourse. This particular playground has a large mock up of an airplane. It has stairs that lead up to a cockpit area that the kids can play in, a cargo area and stubby wings with little engines on them. Jack loves the thing. It keeps his active little mind going crazy with all sorts of fantasy's. What is remarkable about this, it that he normally pretends to be daddy and fly the plane. He likes to start the engines, pretend to take off, play ATC, fly the plane and have little kid fun. Thats what I'd expect from normal kids playing. What Erin pointed out to me while we were watching Jack play was anything but normal.
While Jack was up in the "atc" tower, Erin leaned over and asked if I was paying attention to several of the other kids at the playground. Normally I'm pretty oblivious to things so it was not out of the norm to have her point something out. What I noticed was confusing, disturbing and odd. There were 2 brothers, probably about 8 and 5 that were pretending to blow up the airplane and parachute out. As I watched these kids play, numerous bells and whistles were going off in my head. In this day and age, you would think that parents would tell their kids that pretending to blow up airplanes while you are in an airport is a bad thing. I for sure would have had words with Jack if I had saw him behaving that way. I know kids will be kids, but that sort of behavior is not something that they come up with on their own. They had to learn it from somewhere.
I found myself in a moral dilemma. Here I am, in full uniform, watching some grossly inappropriate behavior by some little kids. Do I say something to their parents? Do I possibly say something to the authorities? What was making this decision especially difficult was the fact that these kids were of middle eastern descent. Would I have been having these thoughts if they were white? Are these just kids being kids or is there something more sinister going on here? In the end, I did nothing. But I'm sure I wouldn't be the only person to raise an eyebrow at some kids pretending to blow up a plane in an airport.
Erin and Jack had to catch a 5:00 flight back home. I had to fly that night, so I brought them to the airport and hung out with them until they had to get on the plane. Turns out that the 5:00 flight was delayed for an hour, so to kill the time with our restless 3 year old, we went to the playground that is on the concourse. This particular playground has a large mock up of an airplane. It has stairs that lead up to a cockpit area that the kids can play in, a cargo area and stubby wings with little engines on them. Jack loves the thing. It keeps his active little mind going crazy with all sorts of fantasy's. What is remarkable about this, it that he normally pretends to be daddy and fly the plane. He likes to start the engines, pretend to take off, play ATC, fly the plane and have little kid fun. Thats what I'd expect from normal kids playing. What Erin pointed out to me while we were watching Jack play was anything but normal.
While Jack was up in the "atc" tower, Erin leaned over and asked if I was paying attention to several of the other kids at the playground. Normally I'm pretty oblivious to things so it was not out of the norm to have her point something out. What I noticed was confusing, disturbing and odd. There were 2 brothers, probably about 8 and 5 that were pretending to blow up the airplane and parachute out. As I watched these kids play, numerous bells and whistles were going off in my head. In this day and age, you would think that parents would tell their kids that pretending to blow up airplanes while you are in an airport is a bad thing. I for sure would have had words with Jack if I had saw him behaving that way. I know kids will be kids, but that sort of behavior is not something that they come up with on their own. They had to learn it from somewhere.
I found myself in a moral dilemma. Here I am, in full uniform, watching some grossly inappropriate behavior by some little kids. Do I say something to their parents? Do I possibly say something to the authorities? What was making this decision especially difficult was the fact that these kids were of middle eastern descent. Would I have been having these thoughts if they were white? Are these just kids being kids or is there something more sinister going on here? In the end, I did nothing. But I'm sure I wouldn't be the only person to raise an eyebrow at some kids pretending to blow up a plane in an airport.
posted by Windsor at 8:41 PM
4 Comments:
Love your blog - thanks. That is a weird moral dilemma. I suspect it's just kids being kids, just like when I played cops and robbers, and cowboys and Indians. I think their play-acting was just a modern, different form of violent copycat "playing". It's the movies they watch, viseo games, etc. Ultimately, I guess I don't find it any more inappropriate than cops and robbers. Just updated for a new, more violent, more political reality. Keep up the great writing!
Kids are kids. Don't worry about it. You wouldn't have thought twice about it pre-9/11 and if you think about it, these kids were barely born when 9/11 happened. I'm sure it was the farthest thing from their minds. Notifying the authorities? Are you serious? You seem like a real over-achiever.
Stud,
Asshole, yes, over achiver....naaaa, dont think so.
After reading your blog, all I can do is shake my head. I call B.S on 99% of it. If it is true, great, way to go, but it makes you sound like a dick.
Yow. That is disturbing I'd have said something to their parents ( and / or them ). Something like " that's really not cool. Please don't play 'being a terrorist' in the airport". And no, I don't care what ethnicity we're talking about. The game is several shades sicker than cops & robbers. Can you imagine kids playing "axis & allies" soldier games during WW2? Uh huh. No, me neither.
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