Grandmother cred

Life is so unpredictable. 

Take Karen Klein of Greece, N.Y.  When the week began nobody outside of her family and friends had heard of her.  Now at the end of the week, her face and her story have been told all over the world.  She's the lead topic around the water cooler this morning thanks to four 7th grade boys. 

Karen is the bullied grandmother/school bus monitor in this week's amazing YouTube video.  A CBS report this morning said the video had upwards of 2.5 million hits so far.  The video, shot by a teen, shows four teenage boys harassing her nonstop while she remains calm, yet obviously uncomfortable.  Profanity-laced insults are directed at her appearance and it appears a couple of times, they poke her with objects and their hands.

I wonder what the boy who posted this video thought was going to happen when others witnessed the incident?  What did he think the reaction was going to be?  It sure was funny at the time, at least that's the reaction he likely got from his friends and other students on the bus.  Where were the other students riding the bus when this was happening? 

The reaction has been overwhelming support for Karen Klein.  The public has responded with flowers, letters, and apparently a lot of money.  It struck a nerve.  The public is not OK with teenage boys harassing a grandmother.  Not just any grandmother, but a grandmotherly grandmother.  If it had been me, a grandmother, I may not have acted so grandmotherly.  But Karen Klein did.  She modeled classy behavior in an ugly situation. 

So this morning one of the fathers of the boys speaks to reporters.  He aplogizes.  He is saddened, he says, by his son's behavior.  I believe him.  Like the victim, he, too, is modeling classy behavior in an ugly situation, although I don't see him getting gifts from the public.  Predictably, his son and the other boys are getting death threats.

Cue the public blood lust: "If I were on that bus...." or "if I were their parent..."  The ending to those statements may differ slightly, but all involve bodily harm.   These kinds of reactions are not helpful.  They just make us feel better about ourselves for some reason. 

It makes me think of that famous Rodney King moment: can't we all just get along?  (RIP, Mr. King, who died last week).  It's that lesson again.  And again.  And again.  This week it's Karen Klein telling those boys on the bus in the middle of the attack: if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything.  That's straight, 100 proof sage advice - total grandma cred.  These are the kind of words and actions, powerful words and actions, that pack more punch than a death threat or an actual beating.

So what changes as a result of this video going viral; as a result of millions witnessing Karen's powerful words and actions?  Well Karen Klein is likely going to be able to retire.  Awesome.  And, at least the one kid whose father came forward, that kid is likely going to change for the better.  I believe his father was genuine in his sadness and we all know there's nothing worse than a parents' disapproval, except maybe a thousand death threats. 

But maybe, just maybe, the lesson will stick this time and there will be no more bullying EVER again on ANY school bus throughout the universe. 

A girl can dream.