From the Cobwebs: Inner Mom, present and accounted for!!

From 2009

I’ve always kind of wondered how I would react in an emergency. I don’t really remember being in any that didn’t involved me—hello six car accidents, none of which were my fault. I would wonder to myself “Do I have a head cool enough to be able to do whatever needs to be done to help?”

I was at my favorite Mexican food joint (subtle hint: Taqueria El Charro # 4 right across from the firehouse has gift cards for $5 and $10 which you might give as christmas gifts to those who love it) a day or two ago, chomping on my regular meal: iced tea with no lemon, no sugar, a picadillo taco, and chip with the most delicious salsa in the world, exceptin’ perhaps Rick Brumback’s and the salsa stuff at Pasquale’s in Santa Fe. As I am also re-reading the Harry Potter series and am currently on book six, I was prolly reading about Harry and Dumbledore’s visit to Horace Slughorn when—out of the corner of my eyes—I saw a girl about nine walk into the restaurant. She walked about ten feet in and then proceeded to projectile vomit something that look a whole lot like water, actually. Strangely, her projectile was similar to how you might imagine the blood would come out of the carotid artery if it was punctured. It made an arc. The look on her face was actually quite interesting. She was beyond surprised. She immediately covered her mouth and looked at her mother who was coming in the door behind her. As she took slight ¼ turns back and forth between the back where she figured the bathrooms might be and her mother, the look on her face wild and scared. She wanted the comfort of her mommy, but knew she needed to find a toilet. Maybe I’ve been there before—maybe not, but I recognized her need. I jumped up from my table and said, “Let’s go, honey. The bathroom’s back here. Follow me.” I started running back to the bathroom area and got there to open the door just before she needed it open. Her poor little sick body—with a hand covered mouth—ran right toward the toilet to get her business done. Her mother made it back to the bathroom just then, thanked me, and went in to take care of her daughter. I went back to eating and was surprised several minutes later to see them walking toward me. The young girl—Ashley was her name—looked a tad better. I smoothed her hair and comforted her a little and they left.

I do wonder how she is doing. Her mother told me that the doc said it was just a stomach virus, so I’m sure she’s over it by now. It was nice to know, after it was all over, that I could be the one with the clear head. Anyone of you who knows me very well knows that I’m not the most practical girl around, yeah? But this time, my inner smart-know-how-to-do-everything-right-only-slightly-used Mom came out immediately just as I stepped out of the super-hero-clothes-changing phone booth. I’m glad to know she is in there somewhere.