# Awkward

So, the park is full and lots of children of various ages are exploring the park and deciding what they can do as the parents are sitting round the campfire relaxing. I like kids of a certain age. I think maybe puberty is the cut off for me. I find those children in the throes of puberty to be either surprisingly delightful to be around (rare) or just downright repulsive. I once told a youth pastor that I was really happy that he liked teens, because I didn't. He was asking me to help with an outing and I had two children in the group. He was appalled, but I was already heading up the children's choir, so it wasn't like I was shirking my duties.

Anyhoo, there are lots of children under that cut-off age in the park. Two boys came in to tell me about a teen threatening them and using foul language around the group of 4 year olds and making sexually suggestive signs with his hands (their words, they wanted to demonstrate, but I pushed their hands to their sides). I told them to let their parents know and that if the teen approached them again to get an adult, any adult and that I would be available should they be close to the office. Then I asked which campsite the teen was staying at. They did not know, but were certain that he was not with their group .....

Not 15 minutes passed before my town criers were back. The mean boy was "over there in that green area" (grass?). He was all dressed in black and had reportedly threatened to kill them and watch them burn .... most especially their gonads. He was on a bike headed away from me. I yelled at him to stop, but he kept going. The young kids formed a mob and told him he had to report to the office. Safety in numbers, I suppose.

I was hoping that HeWho mows and tows would be on the scene to deal with the young would-be murderer of children. I tackled it myself and asked him why he thought it was a good idea to terrorize those younger and smaller than himself. "I don't know" seemed to be his favorite answer. When he tried to deny, his accusers were standing off to one side correcting him.

He finally just confessed and in my capacity as the judge I told him to try and set a better example for the kids and that if he should decide to get revenge, I would be speaking with his parents and they would be asked to leave. I was feeling quite powerful and judge worthy as the kid appeared to be terrified of me.

Come to find out, he was with the group he was picking on, his parents having become friends with the other parents. #Awkward.