Maternal Instincts
Yesterday being Israel's Independence day, Bryan and I spent the day in Jerusalem. I was particularly excited for the Living Museum, an annual Jerusalem Independence Day festival of sorts which re-enacts aspects of history (usually from 1948, or about the particular neighborhood the festival is in).
The festival moves around every year (my favorite year was in Yemin Moshe 3 years ago, and the theme was arts from 1948), and this year it was in the Russian Compound. Unfortunately, it somewhat deviated from its usual superb fun, and the theme had a lot to do with Russia from 1860 onwards, and the history and present of the Jerusalem police force, also located in the Russian Compound.
The only truly interesting "exhibit" was a huge performance put on by the police demonstrating all their weaponry and ways to tackle terrorists. Of course, the crowd to get a seat at this exhibit (which started every hour, on the hour for 5 hours) was ridiculous, and because this is Jerusalem, there was no sort of organized line or any manner to get in, just a lot of pushing and shoving.
Bryan and I managed ot get in the crowd, and at 20 minutes to the hour, they lifted a barricade and everyone lunged forward to get in. I put my hands in front of my belly, to protect it from being really squashed, but no matter. One guy, 2 people in front of me, decided he didn't like the surge of people pushing him from behind (never mind that he practically stepped on people to cut them in the "line" to get to his position). As everyone moved forward he took his elbows and sharply pushed backwards. The result was that I, who was actually 2 people behind him got a very sharp blow to the belly, right between the muscles. And it really hurt (besides knocking the wind out of me). So I did what any other Jewish mother would do when someone tried to hurt her baby.
I slugged the guy.
I'm not sure what came over me, but it was sort of instinctive. I would ahve gone for the face, but since he was not directly facing me, I neded up punching his shoulder. He looked quite shocked to see a religious (chilul hashem, I know), pregnant woman deck him. Then of course his wife, and her friend (I assume) started screaming at me. But all they saw was my punch (which was over the crowd) and not his hitting me in the belly (which was under the crowd).
I saw the guy go over to a policeman and try and complain that a pregnant woman had just punched him, but oddly enough, no one came over to me. I would have loved to have had that conversation.
Bryan was sort of shocked, but then he was rather proud of me. He said he realized the guy must have done something really bad to deserve that. I'm not really a violent person. The last time I hit someone was when I was in 5th grade, and there was this boy who had been picking on me (and the other geeks, have I ever mentioned I was the queen of loser/geeks in elementary and middle school?) all year long. Well, about mid-year I broke my arm while ice-skating. A few weeks later, that same boy was picking on me again, and I realized I had a weapon at my disposal. So I punched him too, in the face, with my cast. I think the principal was so pleased to see that someone had put this kid in his place, and this was the days of teaching girls about empowerment, that I barely got punished. I think 15 minutes of after-school detention.
But for some reason, the thought of this guy at the festival punching my little fetus got me so riled up, that I just lost it. I guess I'll be like one of those lioness mothers.
The festival moves around every year (my favorite year was in Yemin Moshe 3 years ago, and the theme was arts from 1948), and this year it was in the Russian Compound. Unfortunately, it somewhat deviated from its usual superb fun, and the theme had a lot to do with Russia from 1860 onwards, and the history and present of the Jerusalem police force, also located in the Russian Compound.
The only truly interesting "exhibit" was a huge performance put on by the police demonstrating all their weaponry and ways to tackle terrorists. Of course, the crowd to get a seat at this exhibit (which started every hour, on the hour for 5 hours) was ridiculous, and because this is Jerusalem, there was no sort of organized line or any manner to get in, just a lot of pushing and shoving.
Bryan and I managed ot get in the crowd, and at 20 minutes to the hour, they lifted a barricade and everyone lunged forward to get in. I put my hands in front of my belly, to protect it from being really squashed, but no matter. One guy, 2 people in front of me, decided he didn't like the surge of people pushing him from behind (never mind that he practically stepped on people to cut them in the "line" to get to his position). As everyone moved forward he took his elbows and sharply pushed backwards. The result was that I, who was actually 2 people behind him got a very sharp blow to the belly, right between the muscles. And it really hurt (besides knocking the wind out of me). So I did what any other Jewish mother would do when someone tried to hurt her baby.
I slugged the guy.
I'm not sure what came over me, but it was sort of instinctive. I would ahve gone for the face, but since he was not directly facing me, I neded up punching his shoulder. He looked quite shocked to see a religious (chilul hashem, I know), pregnant woman deck him. Then of course his wife, and her friend (I assume) started screaming at me. But all they saw was my punch (which was over the crowd) and not his hitting me in the belly (which was under the crowd).
I saw the guy go over to a policeman and try and complain that a pregnant woman had just punched him, but oddly enough, no one came over to me. I would have loved to have had that conversation.
Bryan was sort of shocked, but then he was rather proud of me. He said he realized the guy must have done something really bad to deserve that. I'm not really a violent person. The last time I hit someone was when I was in 5th grade, and there was this boy who had been picking on me (and the other geeks, have I ever mentioned I was the queen of loser/geeks in elementary and middle school?) all year long. Well, about mid-year I broke my arm while ice-skating. A few weeks later, that same boy was picking on me again, and I realized I had a weapon at my disposal. So I punched him too, in the face, with my cast. I think the principal was so pleased to see that someone had put this kid in his place, and this was the days of teaching girls about empowerment, that I barely got punished. I think 15 minutes of after-school detention.
But for some reason, the thought of this guy at the festival punching my little fetus got me so riled up, that I just lost it. I guess I'll be like one of those lioness mothers.
posted by Noa at 6:35 PM
10 Comments:
So when are you due? I forget, and I want to be sure to know whether or not we need to watch out for you on the streets this summer after we make aliyah! :) hee hee just teasing, really! Glad you thought so quickly on your feet. WTG!!!
You go girl!
Good for you! Shabbat shalom.
Good on you for standing up for yourself.
Something just clicked - did I meet you at a BBQ in Katamon on YH?
Hell hath no fury like a pregnant woman scorned.....
Great post - made me laugh
Especially as my wife is pregnant. Its quite funny for a husband watching your wife go mad.
Don't be afraid to speak up in the future, should you find yourself in such a situation again.
Way to go! and you're not alone.....I have a frum Anglo friend, who when several months pregnant and schlepping her first-born around in a stroller, was trying to board a bus in Bet Shemesh. She was astonished to find herself almost trampled by ultra-Orthodox men who apparently suspend the no-contact-with-females-rule when trying to grab the best seats on the bus. She found that judicious applications of her elbows and quick stomps of her foot got immediate results.
You never update, your blog is getting boring...
Good for you...I would have done the same.
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