It was quite the little outing. Lots of noise and lots of business, too. In one corner was a couple closing on a house, in another was a group (most likely related) of about 15 people and then a group of women talking business at another table. In all of this there was a bunch of commotion because somebody shattered the glass in the restaurant's main door. But, that didn't take center stage until after there was a dispute about a 14-year-old boy playing in chicken land (or is it cow land) with a 3-year-old autistic girl. A parent, whose own children were climbing on the bars like the sign asks them not to, was a little miffed about the teen with the little girl. He rightfully complained to the manager, who tried to explain the reason the teen was with the girl was because of the child's autism. However, the father was still uncomfortable with such an arrangement and the teen and autistic girl left the play area.
Then the group (which was Addams-family like) started to complain and asked if autistic children should just die.
Autism wasn't the issue. The issue was the teen-aged boy in the play area sliding around like he was 7 or 8. The father didn't get concerned until after the teen-aged boy almost landed on his daughter, who was probably 5. The father correctly pointed out the teen exceeded the height requirement for the play area. Maybe the mother, instead of moaning and groaning about how poorly her child was being treated, should have gone to her child's defense by helping her climb through the mazes in the play area.
In these kinds of situations it is the wisdom of Solomon that is required. There are two side to the coin and even though I see each side, I feel the 3-year-old was treated shabbily by the father and her clueless mother.
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