wash your mouth out with soap.

Good Morning Blog readers...
Can I just say that the school bus arriving at any street corner at 7am is just too f'ing early? My poor kids - zombies, every damn day no matter what we do to make the morning smoother. We all fall completely apart - melt down - chaos - teeth not brushed nearly long enough ugh - damn the school year - I WANT SUMMER.
Okay now that I got that out of the way - to rant....
Last night before bed, with one eye on NOVA (about King Solomons mines - really cool) and the other eye on the computer, I attempted to write a letter to the editors of the Cville and the Hook (for those of you not from VA - those are our local free newspapers)
and having said that, I probably should send one off to the Daily Progress too - but I sideline.....
I am pissed off about the going's on, on my beloved downtown mall and have had it, literally - like head explosion imminent if something does not change and ASAP.
See the thing is this - I have worked on the mall for fourteen years - is anyone can lend perspective I believe it's me - although I have not been there long enough to be considered "historic" like the mall and the buildings - 14 years is some kinda time to spend in one location.
I have seen a ton of changes - a ton.
What I am so pissed off about, is the behavior of those who have made the mall their place to squat. I have real issues with this.
And keep in mind that I am not really so judgmental - I have a lot of sympathy for those down on their luck.
I am not even necessarily speaking to the homeless or the pan handlers either - mostly I am talking about the assholes who sit around all day running their pie holes at volumes that surely violate the noise ordinances each and every time they open their mouths.
Oh and is downtown Cville our version of Los Angeles? Cause it sure looks to me like there is some gang activity going on....?
Oh and I would be remiss not to mention the drug dealing that goes on in front of Christians - the cars that slow down, roll windows and exchange money and hhhmm other stuff as they peruse through, well they couldn't be more obvious.
But really what I am most upset about, is the atmospheric change - I remember a time when I would not think twice about eating an expensive meal on an outdoor patio - or taking my kids to chaps for an ice cream.
I still will, but now I think twice about it -
wondering, what disruption will there be? what foul language or behavior will I have to witness and worst yet, what about the kiddos?
Will they hear "Motherfucker" repetitively? Probably so.
Grrrr it makes me mad as hell.
In my letter - I recounted a story from my own life - I will give it to you here in short.
I was saying good morning to Mike and Jada (a homeless man and his dog) - he asked me for prayers as he was interviewing for a job that afternoon. We hugged and i said "of course" - then, a young man standing nearby asked me to pray for him too.
"okay whatchya need?"
"I need a job and to get out of the halfway house I am in"
Okay - add that to my list and on my way to open my shop.
About two hours later the same young man was on a patio in front of my store screaming his head off at his girlfriend.
There were all kinds of "Bitches, Assholes, Fuck you's and the mall fav, mother fuckers" spewing from both their mouths.
I was startled to say the least and went to the door to see what in the hell was going on.
Before I knew it - a high back iron bar stool got kicked across the patio and I heard all about how he was a low down cheating bastard and she was a lazy bitch.
I was so mad my head nearly came off - an older more mature type customer from out of town asked me,
"Am I safe here in Charlottesville?"
WOW really....
Thanks you losers for scaring away our out of town visitors - our paying customers - our livelihood and my job security as the country suffers through a recession.
THANKS FOR NOTHING.
Later that afternoon I ran up the mall to my other store on an errand - the same young man with the mouth and a prayer asked me casually - playfully - you pray for me yet?
I stopped in my tracks and thought - well, here is my opportunity to make a difference.
My response was this (not verbatim obviously but the gist)
"Look around you"
Pause look of confusion on his face.
"No really, look around you"
I motioned to behind him with my head - towards a child maybe three - looking in the window of the toy store about two feet from him.
"You think that child needs to hear your disgusting potty mouth?"
Blank expression - turns to shock....
"Because I don't think he does - I don't think that is fair to him or his parents"
Shock turns to guilt.
"thing is, maybe you need less prayers and more self contemplation - maybe you need to think about putting out into the world what you want to get back. You want a job? Well then don't ruin my business by running your mouth with vulgarity that drives customers right off the mall and ruins local economy, there won't be any jobs if you keep it up - you want good luck to come your way? How about some behavior that earns you that payback - you need to stop and think about you and what you put out in relation to what you get back."
I was mad and said it all (way more than that) in my angry Mother voice.
He looked truly afraid.
So yeah, how about them apples???
Everyday of late it is the same on the mall
"MOTHERFUCKER THIS MOTHERFUCKER THAT"
Do these people not see the kids???
Not see the elderly???
Not see that there are people around that don't enjoy being exposed to the gutter?
I have had it.
Pretty quick I am going to start using my Mother voice on all of them - thing is....
I am kinda afraid and that is new for me - I have never felt afraid on the mall.
And don't get me wrong - I don't mean like walking to Eppie's - I mean if I were to challenge one of these assholes, was to speak out, I feel as though I COULD pay a price.
Not happy, not happy in the least.
What the hell is happening to our world that people have so little respect???
I find it appalling - am I alone in this?
I want my mall back.
I want respect back.
Values are lost, ugh...