On my short runs I cut through a park with a small creek running through the middle so the dog can get some water and splash around. This park also has a couple different playground areas, one of which has a climbing wall. As I was making my loop through the park today there was a little boy, no older than five, at the very top of the wall. This is no wimpy wall (like the one in the picture over there). This park's climbing wall is roughly 12 feet tall. If a kid falls wood chips will hopefully keep his bones from breaking, but still, 12 feet is 12 feet.
So the boy at the top of the wall cannot find his footholds and is yelling for his mom. I slowed down to see where his mom was, but couldn't find her. He didn't immediately yell again so I continued on to the water hole for the dog. I didn't even get to the water before the kid starts yelling for his mom much more rapidly and with fear in his voice. So I turned around and ran back to him. I asked if I could help him down and he said he'd really just like his mom. I asked him where his mom was and pointed over to a section of picnic tables. She was on her cell phone with her back to the boy. I ran over to her while the little boy continued to yell, but was shooshed with a finger when I reached her. She then held her hand up to her son to signal, "Give me a minute," before walking even farther away! I walked back over to her son (because why run? There's obviously no emergency here) and started to help guide him down by telling him where the footholds were. After he found the first two she had walked up and took over without a word to me. After he got low enough so she could grab him she plucked him off the wall and set him on the ground. She then turned around and walked away.
Nothing lady? Not a "thanks" or "sorry about that" or "I like your running shorts"? I guess the lesson learned today is when a kid is in peril and could possibly fall 12 feet but his parent obviously is not worried I should just keep running and assume the parent knows what he/she is doing. Does this mean that when I have kids I'm going to be worried about everything? Or was that lady just a jerk?
On a happier note I hit 100 miles in my training this past weekend.
Day 58 - Three Miles
Total mileage - 106.44
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