Where are all the NICE people?

In-laws had the day off yesterday & wanted to go to Disneyland & CA Adventure. Cool. A group of 12 of us went: the ktbunch & I (E was working), FIL, MIL, SIL, SIL, SIL & her DH, thier dd & his son. IT turned otu to be a bit crowded but it wasn't too hot so that was nice.

I do have a gripe though....I am seeing MORE & MORE sourfaces everytime we go there. Families, parents w/ their children who look absolutely MISERABLE!

The "Happiest Place on Earth" w/ the grumpiest guests! I don't get it. I might understand if it was the end of the day, super hot & tired or something. But to be walking or riding & the families aren't 'relating' to each other @ all, they look spaced out & miserable.

Let me describe a situation that spurred this blog. We were getting on the train to get back to the front of the park. No one wanted to move over in the benches to make room for the people getting on, like us. My family all got seats in the back row but there was not room for L & I. I noticed a bit of space in the front row, where I like to sit anyway.

A woman & her child & thier giant stroller sat on the end (instead of sliding all the way over to the 'inside'). Another woman & child had to squeeze past her to sit next to them. Then there was us...so now I had to squeeze past 2 mom's w/ children.

I also had my big Mickey Mouse purse that I use when we go to Disneyland to carry lots of snacks, on my shoulder. I tried to encourage friendliness by smiling & asking politely if I could sit there.....the ladies looked 'put out' as they turned their knees to allow us to squeeze past.

Ok this is my first tiff: they KNOW people are trying to get ON the train AND they are choosing NOT to move down so they KNOW people are going to have to squeeze past them.

Moving on...I get to the TINY spot they inched open for the 2 of us & I joke: I don't have cooties, I promise. NOT even a chuckle! Scowls all around. Ok, well if they are only gonna give me & my dd 5 inches...I'll have to make the most of it.

I turn to squeeze in, my purse on my shoulder & as I turn to sit & @ the same time, pull my bag to my lap...but before I get a chance to do that....there is a little girl sitting on my left & next to her, her dad w/ another little on his lap...so before I get a chance to pull my purse over, he SHOVES it onto my lap AS I am sitting down.

I guess it might have touched the little girl. I turned to look @ him & he gives me a dirty justified look. I politely said, Oh, I'm sorry, I was just trying to get in my seat. The little girl, looking a bit embarrassed says politley & softly, it's ok, it's ok, oh, it's ok.

So now....my tiff #2---WHAT THE HECK? People---PARENTS being rude to other PARENTS in front of their own children? AND being rude to me in front of MY children? What is UP? Was I purposely trying to beat up the little girl w/ my purse? You'd have thought!

I heard a mother yelling @ her child: "Get in the F______ stroller, I am trying to push you!" in front of EVERYONE! Is there NO shame? Imagine if she talks that way in PUBLIC how she might be in private? Where's the self control?

A father got on the train w/ his family & was talking loudly on his cell phone, proclaiming to the person on the other end what a horrible lunch he had just paid $40 for!! Ok, well you KNOW you are @ a major tourist attraction right? $40 for 4 people sounds about right. OR you could have planned ahead & brought your OWN food for much cheaper! Plus the fact of how his family must've certainly felt 'not worth' that price of lunch to feed them!

I will say though that it has brought to the forefront of MY mind how I interact w/ & treat my children, not only in public but everyday. Do I have a scowl on my face? Am I frustrated? Do I look happy? Do I smile @ them? Do I look stressed?

I now make a conscious effort to try to smile @ as many people as possible, especially while we are @ the park, even if the majority do not smile back. Whenever the train passes or we are on the train, we wave & furiously. We wave AND smile & we count how many people actually wave back. I'll tell you, very FEW actually wave back. Very few.

We probably appear to be very corny. But hey...I think corny might be contagious & better to have a bunch of smiling corny people than a bunch of complaining sourpusses right?

Let's remember: BE NICE!

We are not only a representation of ourselves, but our family & most of all, Christ.