Those Screeching Kids!

Have you ever been ambushed by a screaming kid? These are the kids who seem to be preoccupied with random kid-stuff and then out of nowhere, they let out a screeching blast that nearly punctures your eardrums! No one seems to know why they do it.

I was recently at the car dealer having some minor work done on my vehicle. While I was sitting in the waiting area, I received a work-related phone call. They was a couple of young girls playing nearby, so I walked down a small hallway to find a quiet spot. As I commenced my phone conversation, I noticed the girls, presumably sisters, wandering down the hall. As luck would have it, they began to fight over a toy. And that's when the fun started.....

Sensing that things were about to "get real", I instinctively turned to face a corner of the hallway. As I resume my conversation, one of the girls lets out a scream that was shrill enough to break glass. My ears were practically ringing afterwards. I apologized to the person on the other end of the phone and shot a "WTF" look at the girls' mother, who was buried in the latest edition of People magazine. She was oblivious to the situation. I guess as long as the kids were out of her hair, she didn't care.

Then, for some unknown reason, the two girls took turns screaming in each other's face. The shrieking was loud enough to wake Helen Keller. The person on the other end of the phone asked, "What the hell is going over there? Is everything ok?" Again, I apologized and explained that I was stuck in a noisy waiting area at the car dealer. And for some reason, I felt the need to mention that the shit just got real between the two girls.

I would have simply walked outside but it was about ten freggin' degrees on this particular day. For a moment, I actually thought about pushing the kids out the door and locking it (Hey, don't look at me like that. I would have let them back in before the frostbite set in). Figuring that someone would report me to Social Services, I let that idea go and searched for plan B. I eventually ventured out into the garage area. Amazingly, the loud howl of air compressors and impact wrenches was serene compared to the two screeching girls inside. I was finally able to complete my phone call out there. Of course, when I walked back into the the waiting area, the two girls were quiet as church mice. Funny how that works.....

Hey look, I know kids will be kids. And don't get me wrong, I love kids. But do they have to be so loud?

kw