This is the welcome we received almost as soon as our feet hit the ground in the Land of the Lepricorn.
Even before we alighted from the plane, Miss Chloe had started. She has a habit of talking to herself out loud. Not only does she talk to herself, but she actually has around 3 different characters, with 3 different personalities, with 3 different voices......
These conversations become more regular when she is placed in surroundings of unfamiliarity, or does not know what is going to happen next.
Arriving in a foreign country we had never to been before ?
yep fitted right into this category!
I politely mentioned to her on the plane that she needed to put her friends away and she could talk to them when we got to the hotel.
I have never ever tried to stop this behavior, because, to be honest, it doesn't hurt anyone and more importantly, it is her tool for figuring things out.
I have always been firm on what she does in public, as I fully understand that people judge when someone is doing something out of the 'norm', so I have taught her to leave her 'friends' at home when we venture out.
This is usually all good, but not this time....
When I politely made the suggestion, Miss Chloe came back with:"I'm a young adult and you can't tell me what to do".
This is about the time my attitude went pear-shaped. I was already slightly stressed, thinking about going through customs and collecting our luggage...
I hissed at her:" I don't care that you are a young adult - we are in a foreign country and I don't want to get in trouble because you are talking out loud to yourself, so please just put them away till we get to the room!"
Miss Chloe proceeds to argue rather loudly and then promptly ignores me. This is always the signal to me that this conversation is finished and Miss Chloe is not happy with me.
We get out of the airport with no incidents or dramas,
(if you don't call Chloe loudly carrrying on about her horrible mother to her 'friends' an incident.)
We grab a taxi,
and are greeted by
this wonderful
cheerful Irish cabbie.
Cabbie: "How are we, girls?"
Me: "Good"
Chloe: "Not good"
Cabbie: "Oh luv, whats your problem?"
Miss Chloe: "MUM, she won't let me talk to my friends".
Me: "Chloe has invisible friends and I asked her to stop talking to them
until we got to the hotel because we are in public".
Cabbie: "Oh, luv, you can talk to your invisible friends all you like in this country.
You will fit right in with the rest of us here, Luv!!!'
Miss Chloe: "SEE MUM!!"
OK, I gave up, but inside my little heart was singing with joy at the amazing welcome we received in that very fine country.
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| suedymond.com |
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