I must admit I’m sort of a people watcher. I can find complete bliss in simply sitting on a park bench or sitting at the bar by myself. I eavesdrop on conversations, I sometimes stare too long at what people are doing, I’ve seen and heard things that no one should ever have to hear. So this is my confession. It’s a fresh start from here on now isn’t it?

While I was down watching the fireworks this family of four (including the parents) were about two people behind me looking for their friends who evidently were right in front of me. I could hear the people that I could see in front of me loud and clear while I could only faintly make out what the people behind me were saying.

All I knew was that they were looking for one another. I could hear one of them ask a question while the other answered behind me with a yes or no. They were getting anxious and started talking loud enough that I could hear their whole conversation.

Which may lead you to ask, “Troy why didn’t you help them find each other?” Great question; I didn’t help because I could hear their conversation… If I said something to them it would have been creepy enough for me to enjoy the rest of the fireworks in the back of the paddy wagon. I couldn’t be their Robin Hood.

So I let things play out naturally. I felt their kids brush by me and immediately see their friends in front of me. I took a sigh of relief, happy that they finally found each other and we all could enjoy the fireworks. The only thing separating this family from their picnic spot and their other friends for the show was a four foot fence.

A fence their middle school kids, I don’t know how to tell how old kids are, do we go by age or grade? Regardless, both their boy and girl hopped the fence no problem. I turned around to see what their parents were going to do, there was no way they were going to attempt to hop the fence. I saw them both looking at each other and without saying a word simultaneously wave at the parents hosting their kids as if, “We’re gonna walk around.”

Just like that they left their kids with some parents I wasn’t fully convinced they knew. I think it was just some people their kids knew, but that was it… I guess enough to deem them safe enough to leave their kids with. I didn’t see their parents for another forty five minutes. They didn’t get back until the moment before the finale started. They got there and literally introduced themselves to the strangers that had been watching their kids.

I couldn’t believe it. These people found someone that knew their kids, dumped the responsibility of watching them on those parents, and then proceeded to pound a couple shots at the bar and smoke a joint. No trust me I’m not judging. It’s just I have that exact same scent, I knew it as soon as I smelt it. I thought to myself, maybe having kids isn’t so bad. Based on how well these parents seemed to have things under control I figured they must have taught at least one of them how to drive a car. So they at least have their D.D. to get home.