Yet Another Weird Ohio Incident

It was a very weird day yesterday...Perhaps the worst day ever from Archie's point of view. The day after returning from vacation is always a slow day for us. We don't do school or try to get up real early. So we got a late start to the day and began cleaning up and working on the huge mountain of laundry that was waiting for me.

The little girl next door came over to play in the afternoon and both she and Archie were playing nicely and seemed to be having a good time. After a while, they decided to go outside to play in the snow. So off they went in the front yard, throwing snowballs at one another and having fun. I glanced out at them every so often to make sure all was well.

All of a sudden, the door opens, and Archie tells me that a man has stopped outside. So, thinking the worst, I ran out to our porch to see a yellow VW parked in the neighbour's yard and a man up on their porch. So I thought the neighbours were having a visitor and told Archie as much. But apparently it was not the type of visitor one wants at their home. When our neighbour came to his door, the man started yelling about our kids throwing snowballs and rocks at his car while he was driving down the road. Archie said that they threw a snowball, not a rock. This absolutely infuriated the guy, who was positive it was a rock. Archie still maintains that it was a snowball, which I tend to think is true. I'm certain Archie knew that THIS was the time to tell the absolute truth, if ever there was such a time!

At this point, the guy turns and yells at me about what a terrible parent I am and he was going to call the authorities on both my neighbour and I. I tried to apologize to the guy, but he was a raving lunatic by this time. He came toward me in my yard, hurling obscenities and yelling. I told him to watch his language and again apologized for the kids throwing snowballs at his car. He wasn't in a listening mode, so I told him it was time for him to leave. He kept telling me he was going to call 411kids. Being new to Ohio, I didn't really know what that was, so later on I used ask.com to find out. It apparently is an organization which helps homeless or disadvantaged youth in Florida. So he's going to call a place in Florida because my kid...who is neither homeless nor disadvantaged (that I'm aware of, anyway) threw a snowball at his car? Hmmmm....

Anyway...I told the guy he can go ahead and call whoever he wants...but if he didn't leave right now, I was calling the police. He left. Funny...he was all ready to make some goofy ANONYMOUS report on me, but was scared off my my threat to report him to the police? Weird. I wonder what he's hiding? If he was going to report me for something, he should be man enough to stand behind it.

If the guy had approached me in a much less threatening and hysterical way, he probably would've gotten what he came for and felt better for it. I was plenty mad at Archie for participating in something so stupid.

Archie got in super big, horrible trouble for throwing stuff at cars. He kept trying to tell me that it wasn't his idea, but it didn't matter. If you rob a bank, even though it wasn't your idea...you still go to jail.

Speaking of jail...I mentioned to Archie while talking to him about all this that the guy said he was going to call the authorities. Mostly I was trying to convey the seriousness of the issue. But this just totally unhinged him! He kept begging me to tell the guy not to call the police, that he didn't want to go to jail, etc. I calmed him down a bit and sent him up to his room to think about what he did. As soon as he got up there...ironically enough...Guess what we heard...we heard a police siren! Wow! What are the chances? Archie totally flipped out, thinking it was the police coming to take him to jail. Realizing that perhaps the seriousness of the issue was conveyed TOO MUCH, I talked to him again and got him calmed down.

We called Phillip, much to Archie's distress. I made Archie tell him what happened, which just about killed him! He kept trying to ask me whether we could just not tell Daddy about this. But he told him, and I knew we'd have some Daddy consequences after he got home. I guess all this put quite an emotional toll on him and he slept for over an hour. I saw the guy drive up and down the road a few more times, presumably to get our addresses to send to the homeless and disadvantaged kids place in Florida?????

Morgan was home since school hasn't started back yet. I'm sure she was thinking that she was glad it was Archie getting in trouble and not her!

After some time had passed, while Archie was sleeping, I walked around the neighbourhood to see if I could find out where the guy lives. The guy was being an ass-hat (my neighbour's term. Still makes me giggle!). But Archie was wrong in throwing the snowball and I would've liked for him to have to face the guy, take the responsibility that was his, and apologize himself. This was impossible while the guy was here and screaming at me. If the guy could muster a little self-control, I wanted to try it. So I tried to figure out where he lived, as he indicated that he might live nearby. It was hard to tell during his rant, but I think that's what he said. Plus, his car looked familiar. But I didn't find him. Or the car.

Much to Archie's relief, the police did not take him to jail yet, nor have the Florida people come to take him to the home for homeless and disadvantaged kids. We'll see if anything comes from it, however, I am certain that our family can overcome whatever scrutiny may be placed on us. If someone was genuinely concerned about the welfare of any children, I would totally support them calling the Dept. of Children's Services or whatever. But people who use it as a threat, scare tactic, or revenge technique ought to have to go to jail themselves! Ass-hats...All of them!

We're moving past this, as I feel Archie has suffered consequences appropriate for his actions. Most of all, I am hoping this is a learning experience for him that he will always remember...If someone has a 'good' idea, perhaps he better get the heck out of dodge and let them get in trouble all by themselves! I'm certain he doesn't want to re-live this horrible day!

It's so different up here...I don't know if it's Ohio, or just the North, or what it is. I have seen so many odd things since moving here...people coming absolutely unglued. I've never, ever had experiences like this before. Ever. The guy who was being beaten by the large group of teenagers, people almost coming to blows over who was going to get to keep an old broken grill that was IN THE TRASH, people freaking out and screaming at me for hesitating for a second at a red light, and now this. Why is it that most people I encounter in the north have the first instinct to scream the F word at someone else and act like overreacting idiots when things don't go their way? It's not MY first thought. Especially in front of children. Why are people up here so darned angry? Is it too cold? We have change of seasons...plenty of fun stuff to do...very few Walmarts...you don't have to wait at the DMV...Lots of things to be happy about. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE??