I’m at a birthday party with Max at a friend’s home. It’s really crowded and Max is darting around, uneasily. I’m trotting behind him in case he loses it but keeping a safe distance because I don’t want to baby him.
As I follow Max, I notice a few moms staring at him as he passes by. I mean, outright staring. They don’t realize I am with him.
I am so annoyed.
I want to say something, but I have Max to look after and it’s a birthday party, not a time to make waves. I could say something simple like, “That’s my son, Max, he has special needs” but I also feel it’s not their business. And so I just keep walking after him.
This happens from time to time; I’ve written about it before. The staring gets to me. More than the questions and the dumb comments. And it gets to me especially because these women are moms. Shouldn’t they know better than to stare at a child?
At times, I’ve said snippy things like, “You’ve got a problem?” At times, I’ve glared. At times, I’ve stayed silent and simmered. But I’m always unnerved by the stares.
What’s your typical response?
Ellen blogs daily at To The Max.
Photo by Bored2much/flickr