As a single mother (two separate times—I must be cursed or something), I can recall many occasions when, after my kiddo was asleep, I found there was really something I needed at the store. It was never illegal. It was always frustrating (although the frustration was with myself for not realizing I was out of Cheetos or whatever before I’d gotten a child to bed).
I never once woke my child up from a sound sleep to fulfill some desire of my own. That would be grossly unfair.
I also never left a young child alone—even asleep—so I could run to the store or something. That would be negligent.
Whatever mistakes I’ve made as a parent, I can rest easy with the knowledge that I’m way ahead of Florida’s Jocelyn Villot, who left her kid alone for five hours to go buy beer. Yup, you read that right. A fucking case of Bud (a fucking five hour case of Bud) was …
… worth more than her child’s safety.
I do have to give credit to Villot for one piece of good parenting, though … she (or somebody, anyway) taught her son how to dial 911.
I kind of bet she regrets it now.
Jocelyn Villot, 25, of Deltona, Fla., was arrested after her son spoke to a 911 operator on Sunday, wondering where his mother was, according to the station.
“I don’t know my mom’s number,” the boy said. “I thought I called my mom.”
When the dispatcher asked if the woman had been “gone a long, long time,” the boy replied, “yes.”
The boy reportedly said that Villot told him she was leaving to see a doctor and buy beer, the station reports.
Okay, here’s the thing. It sucks having to bring a child to a doctor’s appointment with you. It does. This is especially true if it’s going to involve stirrups. I know. I’ve been there.
And what I did was bring a bag of toys and art supplies to keep my little girl occupied and, when the leg spreading part arrived, I had her come stand next to me and hold my hand to “help Mama be brave.” Was it ideal? Uh … no. But it was far superior to leaving her home alone.
Which brings me back to the beer, for which there isn’t the slightest excuse (and, by the way, who the hell tells a four-year-old she’s going to the store to buy beer?).
I live in New Hampshire, and many parts of the state are not exactly swarmed with stores or gas stations at ever corner. I’ve wracked my brain trying to come up with a scenario that would involve a five hour beer run.
Just for my own personal curiosity, I Mapquested Deltona, where I’ve never been. However, I have been to New Smyrna, Florida on several occasions, and it’s a forty minute drive. There are plenty of stores there, a mere thirty miles away (and I’d bet money that there are closer places to buy booze), that Villot could have hit up if her alcohol jones was so intense.
Anyway, Villot is being held on $5,000 bond.
I’m guessing that means that social services have taken her son away … I mean, it’s not like she just ate a bagel or something.