I remember Saturday mornings as a child. My brother and I would get up early (mom was still sleeping), grab a bowl of cereal and our breakfast trays and plop down in front of the T.V. I'm ashamed to say that we would watch several hours of morning cartoons (but then I turned out o.k., right?), and among them was Spiderman and Friends. Peter Parker would get a spidey tingle whenever danger was near or something bad was about to happen. This spidey sense would give him the edge to prepare for a menacing villain or some type of disaster.
Do you have "spidey senses"? Of course you do. The real question is do you listen to them, and use them to prepare for what might happen.
Last week, I went with my wife and kids to a play date at the local Chick-fil-a. The kids met, and ventured into the glass box called the play area. My wife and the other children's mother sat a table to engage in conversation and talk about..."mom things". I took a seat at a nearby table so as not to interrupt their talk.
About 10 minutes later, I hear someone talking very loudly to one of the cashiers. Sounded like he was giving them a lecture about something biblical in nature. I didn't pay much attention...until he sat down at a table near the mothers. It was a completely empty resteurant, save myself and the two mothers at the table.
He sat there, eating his chicken sandwich and picking at his golden colored waffle fries. He was eating and staring. My spidey sense was giving a cautionary ring. Possible threat detected. Defenses up.
"Those your kids?" he asked, as he pushed a bulge of chicken to one side of his mouth.
My wife nodded.
I stared at him. Did a quick head to toe check. Then a quick scan of the room to check exits and identify weapons of opportunity. Does a bendy straw and plastic fork count?
He then proceeded to interrupt the conversation between my wife and her new friend about once every 2 minutes. As soon as they would get back on track, he would butt in.
Among other things he talked about, he gave a short dissertation on the history of Union County Public Schools, and how we have one of the best systems in the state. Then in a flash of contradiction, explained what was wrong with teaching and kids today. When some new patrons entered the dining room, he did the same. You could see the tension in the room. You could also tell these people were also uncomfortable with his assertive demeanor.
After several interchanges where he would lecture and only be met with a nod and then a turn away, he finished his meal and left. The whole exhange lasted about 15 minutes.
No harm done.
Some might say I was being paranoid or pessimistic about the nature of people.
Those are the same people who look like a deer in the headlights when something bad does come their way. Its called "situational awareness".
Here's my analysis of the situation:
Warning Sign # 1: Resteurant patron speaking in a voice volume much louder than what is necessary.
Warning Sign #2: Despite a completely empty dining room, sits down at a nearby table to where we are.
Warning Sign #3: Repeatedly interrupts conversation and trys to evoke a reply that would possibly allow him to argue and give a lecture on a subject of his choosing.
I say look to the animal kingdom and then tell me if I'm wrong. Any animal looking to exert dominance on another typically does 1 or all 3 (in their own way). Dogs get louder and change pitch when walking up on other unfamiliar dogs. Then proximity is used to further exert dominance, acting as a silent threat. If that doesn't work and the other dog walks away or ignores, the dominating dog looks to interfere with their path of exit or use body language to convey a threat.
This guy was harmless. He was looking to be the dominant figure in the room. He accomplished this by being assertive and relentless with his comments and questions. For the most part, he succeeded. I never engaged him, verbally or otherwise. Not every person that acts this way is harmless. Would he have been willing to exert dominance physically? Who knows? The next guy might.
God gave us this spidey sense for a reason. Use it. Be aware. Be ready.
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