Woman Points to 'Dirty' Man and Tells Daughter 'That's Why You Stay in School'
Shopping is one of those chores that people seem to either love or hate. The rows of items and choices is overwhelming to some.
The difficulty level only increases when you’ve got kiddos in tow. Not only are you in charge of finding the week’s meals in deconstructed form, but you also have to make sure your kids aren’t sampling wares or duking it out on the candy aisle.
It’s generally easier to shop alone, but when kids are involved there are plenty of opportunities to teach lessons — some stores even supply miniature shopping carts for the youngest patrons so they can begin their conditioning early.
One unnamed mother and daughter were at a store when a teachable moment reared its head.
It was in the form of another shopper who had stopped in to get a few items. His name was Andy Rose, and he was filthy and covered in tattoos.
The young girl kept glancing at him, probably in the long, drawn-out, completely oblivious sort of way that only a child can. Her mother told her to stop staring.
Granted, the man was grungy. Rose ended up behind the mother-daughter duo in the checkout line, where the girl continued to keep an eye on him.
It was all okay until they left the store. As they exited, Rose heard the mother instructing her daughter: “That is why you need to stay in school.”
Maybe it was an attempt to neatly stop any further conversation about the man and get on with life. Perhaps the girl had been resisting homework and mom saw a potential object lesson and couldn’t resist the opportunity.
Whatever the case, Rose spoke up. He, too, had seen a teachable moment, and he seized it. He took to Facebook afterward, where he described their interactions.
To start, he addressed the main point of contention: education. “I not only have a high school diploma,” he said, “I also have a college degree and many medical certifications. So assuming that I am uneducated because of my appearance is actually quite ignorant in itself.”
Next, he attacked the underlying assumption regarding his tattoos. “Secondly, if you are telling your daughter to stay in school because I have tattoos up and down my arms, that will actually suppress her creativity and potentially hinder her imagination as she develops.”
Not only was he unapologetic for sporting body art, but he was also absolutely proud of it — because it told a story, one the mother may never have guessed at.
“It’s a representation of my pride in my country and my service over multiple combat tours as a special operations medic.”
With those two issues taken care of, he proceeded to the last one. He told them that he owned a company and also worked in construction.
Some people assume that if you work a job like that, it’s because you were unable to “make the cut” in a “real” (read: desk) job — but what is a real job other than work that puts food on the table and pays bills?
“I make good money, have benefits, and am able to provide for my family without issue. So my appearance reflects nothing to do with my level of intelligence or pursuing a higher level of education,” he said.
By this point, the mother was probably astounded and wishing she’d waited to get to the car to say anything to her daughter. In parting, Rose said, “have a good day and try not to judge people before you know anything about them. Good luck with her little girl.”
His post ended with several exhortations, encouraging people not to judge an entire person in a single glance, to do what you love, to realize there are respectable jobs that don’t require expensive education and to be a good example to your kids.
In closing, he also admitted that he needed a shower.
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