Mobile Phone at the Playground? The horror!

Took the boys to the local play park by my mom's this afternoon. I noticed how less pretentious the moms were there as half of them were on their cell phones, reading books and having conversations with one another as their kids slid down the slides, pumped their tiny legs on the swings and wiggled and jiggled on the see saws.

In my stodgy, easily more conservative and cautious neighborhood, it was a no-no to be on the phone while at the park with the kids. You'd get these disapproving stares. I'm all for family values and undivided attention and all that, but sometimes you just got to take that call from a client. As a small business owner, I don't really have the room to lose the few clients I have. I offer them the extra care and attention as a selling point separating me from the big dogs and unfortunately that means interrupted "mommy and me" times with the kids. I sure do feel guilty, but so is the sacrifice for being on my own.

That's why as soon as we can afford it, we're gonna hog tail our butts to a neighborhood more diverse and with more Africans, Caribbeans and other international folks who aren't so uptight.

There have been moments we'd take the boys to the park brimming with kids, and shortly after we arrive entire play groups would wrap up their session and disperse leaving us to wonder if our breath stunk or something. I imagine some of these folks aren't comfortable with people of color, perhaps and they get nervous over the prospect of perhaps saying the wrong thing. Would we have something in common, they wonder maybe. Do we even live in the town or are just patronizing the town playground, they may think. Who knows. It is quite the quaint picture-perfect town with its own police department, several churches, a public school, tennis courts and playgrounds. It has a very community feel to it. Everyone knows everyone. Parents look out for other parents' kids and call and let them know if they see their kid doing something naughty.

However, we never get invited to dinner or playgroups, well rarely anyway. I suppose if my kids went to the neighborhood public school instead of private Catholic school I'd have an opportunity to meet other parents and really blend in...

Hmm...I really got to get that lottery ticket subscription thing in the mail! We've gotta get moving to larger friendlier pastures.