An odd random memory surfaced

I was looking at someone's new baby photos. These were from the grandmother and the parents are SO young. I am dealing with and caring for teens these days and praying that doesn't lead to caring for baby for my teen or any other. No one is up to that job.

And yet that hit me hard because I was totally the QUEEN babysitter in Old Town College Park between 1972-1982. One of my first gigs was at the age of 12 . My Pastor called and asked if I could take care of a new one, near home for the night. This baby was 3-4 months old, colicky, it was hot as hell and no AC. The parents spoke no English. There were no cell phones. I was certain the child would die in my care. I walked that child and fed him and kept him dry for those hours. All he did was scream. No one cared. My parents and my Pastor threw me under the bus on this one.
The parents were vey grateful in their language and gave me $20 which was huge in 1972.

That led me down the babysitting path even further. Short torture, good money. It beat retail and fast food. I still do business for other reasons for the people who tortured me with their kids back then. I think they know I did em good and they owe me. No one died. There were never broken bones. One bad fall that resulted in an unclear diagnosis. I hid things to need to be hid
I kept their kids safe, the best I could. As the kids got olderI chased the bad girls out or hid things/ I tolerated the black powder and ping pong ball deal. I was there to take the rap no matter what. I was in charge, so it was my shit to take.

I cared for so many babies and toddlers for so many years. And then some of those households as they got older and situations changed.
Keeping the Judge away from the family room was one of my finer moments. Thank you, Brian.
And I relish the time, not so needed, but wanted, with Jon and Darren. I had kinda been in charge of them, which was like chasing bullets. And then their father, Jim, died. Those days and times changed me and more than a few others.

I keep Jim's photo in my bedroom, that is how amazing he was, and how much he affected me as a person. Anyone who even remotely knew Jim would understand that. He is the best reminder, aside from my father, of what a person can do and how a person can take on life and make it work.

I took care of his kids when they were young and through our hard losses. I do have it in me.

I have had it in me in ways for a long assed time to deal with tough stuff, apparently.

I just took it on with my mother from the other angle. The fathers who took me home and gave me the cash or wrote the check. I had a crush on one, but still admire the man for always being very cool and respectful. He has aged nicely. I'll never forget how gentlemanly he was in that 1967 ish Volkswagon Bug and how respectully he spoke to me, always. He raised the bar in how I wanted to be seen and treated. Sadly that didn't continue. Men take advantage of babysitters, so I suppose that I why I do not encourage Leanne in that direction. Being locked in and assaulted kinda turned me on that for good. Hot 16 year olds with men in that situation is just plain not a good idea.

I treasure the children that I have cared for, the list islong. "Don't hit em in the head" and "don't let em jump off the roof" was the only advice I was given. They did jump off a roof, in my care, but they are still alive. No broken bones, no emergency room trips. I somehow let them have their fun and saved their asses in the end, no matter if they were 3 or 16.

It's good that some old memories surfaced, for whatever reason they have.
I used to kick ass, and I guess I still do...and I need to.