This was a real post on my neighborhood listserv

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, I guess I'm inviting everyone to mock me as well, but here goes. . .

I don't think the mother's email was really off base. It's not something I would probably send, but my reaction as a recipient would have been mild sympathy.

Some kids have a really strong sense of shame, especially at that age, and many have a strong sense of justice as well. In combination, I can see where a mother would be frustrated at how this played out. My nephew is like that. I can easily imagine him ruminating on this and feeling really bad and embarrassed for a long time.

I also think if you're going to really take someone to task, especially a stranger who won't have the opportunity to follow up later, it's better not to do it in a hit-and-run fashion. The kid is not entitled to "closure" as the mother put it, but it would nice. Since the guy took on the role of "village" in this situation, he could have take the extra 30 seconds to do it more productively. Learning to apologize meaningfully is important and this was a lost opportunity for that. One of my biggest peeves is those terrible, passive-voice, "I'm sorry if what I said/did offended you," nonapologies that you hear all the time.

I agree. I personally would not have posted to a list serve, but I can see the mother's point of view, not sure what the BFD is here

Same here.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Or, maybe it would be a good thing- awareness of how ridiculous this entire thing really is. She might learn that posting on a listserv to shame the guy who had a few words, in the end, is completely void of helpfulness and in the end- is attention-seeking at best.

Yes, this.

I'm sure she's a perfectly nice lady. But what was she trying to accomplish by posting this on her listserve?

Really, her only reaction should have been that she was embarrassed that her 6 year old threw a pine one at someone. End of story. It doesn't matter what the driver said. The little boy was wrong for throwing shit at people, and the mom was wrong for whining about the lack of closure. If she really, really wants closure, she should have posted asking who the man was, saying her son wanted to go over there and apologize in person.

See, his kind of post I understand. But calling a sensitive kid a limp wrist, effeminate(implied with the purse and red bottoms shit) , crybaby, wimp is way over the top.

I am the PP you quoted and I do agree that name-calling (limp wrist comments) are disgusting.

[Anonymous]

I laughed when I first read the post but I'm starting to feel bad for the mom. And I don't think it's very nice to tear the kid apart. But then again, that Goldie Hawn movie Overboard was on the other night and I was crying at the end. So don't go by me.

[Anonymous]

PS-When a pinecone falls in Bethesda, apparently everyone hears it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You PPs who know her do realize the neighbors who actually know who she is are having a good laugh at her expense, right? That would bother me way worse than knowing anonymous people who did not know who I was were laughing at me. But she did it to herself. I actually feel sorry for her kid. If a kid does something that makes him cry at the playground will she take to the listserv to rent her garments again?

I don't live in her neighborhood and NEVER would because I hate Bethesda. The fact that you are all giggling behind her back doesn't make me think any better of her neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Or, maybe it would be a good thing- awareness of how ridiculous this entire thing really is. She might learn that posting on a listserv to shame the guy who had a few words, in the end, is completely void of helpfulness and in the end- is attention-seeking at best.

Yes, this.

I'm sure she's a perfectly nice lady. But what was she trying to accomplish by posting this on her listserve?

Really, her only reaction should have been that she was embarrassed that her 6 year old threw a pine one at someone. End of story. It doesn't matter what the driver said. The little boy was wrong for throwing shit at people, and the mom was wrong for whining about the lack of closure. If she really, really wants closure, she should have posted asking who the man was, saying her son wanted to go over there and apologize in person.

See, his kind of post I understand. But calling a sensitive kid a limp wrist, effeminate(implied with the purse and red bottoms shit) , crybaby, wimp is way over the top.

NP, and I totally agree. Those kinds of comments are uncalled for. It's one thing to say that the mom was in the wrong, and while I do think it's absurd that a 6 year old is so upset because a grownup that was assaulted by the kid told him not to do those things, I don't blame the kid. I blame the parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am on the listserv too, and believe me people are giggling about this in real life in the neighborhood.

And to the PP who is saddened by this, I hope you find closure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is not a joke, or a skit from Portlandia, but a REAL post from my neighborhood listserv

------------------------------------------------------------------------

But to leave without allowing a response is, I believe, as inappropriate or more so than the original action.


Please don't fill up the listserv with responses; you can respond to me directly if you would like.


NAME REDACTED, mother of NAME REDACTED, the pinecone tosser
---

This is my issue with the email.

Not allowing the kid to apologize is worse than the kid tossing pine comes? Umm, nope, sorry.

[Anonymous]

My grandfather lost an eye due to someone throwing a peach pit out of a passing car. True story. I'm glad the guy said something to the kid.

[Anonymous]

WHAT neighborhood in Bethesda?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My grandfather lost an eye due to someone throwing a peach pit out of a passing car. True story. I'm glad the guy said something to the kid.

This is what I was thinking, and what makes me less sympathetic to the pine come mom.

Maybe the man who scolded her son had a mom who list an eye due to something similar. Or maybe he drove off quickly because his wife was in labor or something.

We know nothing about his side of the story. She complains about the man's one-sided rant, then posts on a PUBLIC neighborhood listserve complaining about him in her own one-sided rant.

What was she trying to accomplish? Sounds like she jj yay wanted to garner sympathy and shame her neighbor.

[Anonymous]

Lost an eye, not list

[Anonymous]

This whole thread is LOL funny. Thanks for a very good laugh. We can add "crazy pinecone lady" to the DCUM best lists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am on the listserv too, and believe me people are giggling about this in real life in the neighborhood.

And to the PP who is saddened by this, I hope you find closure.

You sound like a great group of people. Similar to a lot of people I knew in middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A six year old hit a car with a flying object. He should be scared.

Yes!

The kid was throwing acorns at cars?? I would be mortified if my 6 yo did that to a neighbor.

He should have been scared. The mom just comes across as a whiny pain in the butt.

throwing pinecones... PINECONES I tell you!!!

amazing