Co-op in the morning, home for lunch and chores, and back to co-op to do our final bathroom cleaning. {Cleaning the bathrooms at the church is the job that we have been assigned to for the year. We requested to have all of our cleaning days at the front end of the year instead of them being spread out so that I wouldn't need to think about it after Baby Zion comes!}
So, on our way to clean, we were coming up on a local cemetery. Familiar flashing lights were approaching ahead of us and I pulled to the right...
The lights belonged to the police escort which would block the traffic for the funeral procession to cross 3 lanes of busy traffic...
Having pulled to the right, my vehicle was essentially blocking the bus lane on the far right.
Noah piped up and asked, "What are the police doing? What's that big car in front? Whoa, there's a limo!"
As I began to explain to him the reason for all of the different officials and vehicles, I heard honking behind me. I just sat there... More honking... I still sat there... More honking... {Well, you get the picture.}
Now let me interject here:
Have I ever told you how awkward it can be to drive a large passenger van? Especially one that has a back up beeper louder than your typical construction equipment? Well, imagine the thoughts going through my head as the person behind me is honking, and I'm thinking they can't see around me and I already have this uncomfortable feeling about how "in the way" I am in my big van!
So, as I'm sitting there trying to figure out how I could navigate my way out of the way, I get a tap, tap, tap on my window. Rolling down my window I say, "Ummmm...where do you think we're going?" To which the man replies, "I'm trying to get to that funeral, could you pull out of the way?" So I say, "Oh, O.K.!"
As best I could, I tried to maneuver back into the non-moving traffic and scoot as close to the car in front of me as possible so that the man could pass behind me. Only there apparently wasn't enough room...honking pursues... I sat there... More honking... I sat there...growing more uncomfortable by the minute... Then, tap - tap - tap!!!!
I roll down my window!
"You need to get the _____ out of the way! Can't you back up?" To which I reply, "Umm, no..." {Duh! He's in my way...} So the profanities ensued! I was called all sorts of names and sworn at up and down. So, what did I do? Rolled up my window, locked the doors and looked away!
Back to his van he went...then started honking!!!
Then...tap, tap, tap...
I rolled down my window again, planning on calmly explaining that there was a car in front of me that would also block him. I even suggested he see if the person in front of me could pull forward or he could back up and go through a parking lot that would take him around the traffic. But, I don't think he heard a word I said, because he continued with accusations and profanities. When I began to say that he couldn't speak to me like that, he said, "so you're not going to let me get to my friends funeral?" To which I said, "Nope!" and rolled up my window again.
I did hear him say, "That's fine ____! You're going to be all over YouTube!"
I did get his license plate number before the traffic started moving again. And the owners of the local shop which I had suggested he drive through were yelling at him and motioning him to go through their parking lot.
Was I shaken a bit? Absolutely! And try to hold it together as your 10 year old starts asking questions about why the man was behaving that way. I simply told him that people act differently when they are experiencing grief.
Later while we were cleaning, Isabelle said, "Well, mom, that guy will get punished for treating you like that...whether here on earth or after he dies."
And you know, it made me think of Jesus on the cross! He suffered so much more on that day. Really, my little incident could happen on the streets of larger cities every day! What were Christ's words, "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do!"
That's the cry of my heart for this man...
Oh, and if you see me on YouTube...comment with a link to this post, K? :)
Thanks for stopping by!
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