Over the weekend I went on a 7-mile hike with one of my buds and decided to bring along the pooch (first child). I thought the little fella would enjoy himself and also thought it would be a good way to tire him out so I could finish some side-work I wanted to get done from home later on that evening. What I didn't expect was all of the unsolicited advice I would get along the way from complete strangers.
- I sure hope you brought water for your dog
(yes I brought water you idiot)
- You really shouldn't take dogs on such long hikes
(it's only 7 miles loves this sh*t)
- You should never take a dog out in this heat
(dude, the trails half-shaded, I brought water and there are lakes all around for him swim in)
- I hope you're dog is taking flea medicine
(yes, he's on a full flea concoction cocktail)
- You need to pickup after your dog if he goes poop.
(I brought a plethora of scented doggy bags)
Ok, it's a dog and so many people decided to pipe in with their unwanted advice. Me, I keep my mouth shut unless I see something bordering on illegal and even then I'm hesitant to say something unless the situation is dire. Fortunately my friend wasn't so nice and told one hairy-pit granola broad to "piss-off" and "worry about your own hygiene."
All of this has gotten me to think. Do I have worry about getting unsolicited advice from strangers when I'm in public with my kid? Do complete strangers really have the balls to come up and tell you how to raise your kid? Will I have to be polite and just smile as they provide what they think is their "pillar of knowledge" or can I just go "postal on their ass?"
How do you handle it?
