I had another “Alyssa Moment” while at the Tuttle Mall in Dublin, Ohio. While my wife Lisa asked if she could look around Lane Bryant, I went to take our six-year-old daughter Alyssa to the kids play area. Yet Alyssa was complaining that her stomach hurt and that she needed to go to the bathroom. So we walked over to the restrooms where she ordered me to stay outside of the Women’s Room. This wasn’t too big of a deal since she’s matured a lot and has been going to the potty by herself with no problem. In fact, she insists. After all, she’s a young lady now. As I waited outside and browsed around on my iPhone for three minutes, a woman in her late 50s came out of the Women’s Room asking if I was the father of a little girl. Uh, oh. What was it now? I wasn’t too surprised. She informed me that a little girl was crying out from behind the toilet stall, “Help me!” Then two young teenage girls, also concerned and confused, came out also looking around the corner at me and the woman wondering what to do. They couldn’t figure out if the little girl in the toilet stall was hurt… or lost… or what? They all wanted to assist in any way they could. “Help me!” I overheard Alyssa cry out. I really didn’t want to charge into the Women’s Room when I didn’t know how many other women were in there. Seeing that wasn’t able to go inside, the concerned and empathetic older woman (and now Good Samaritan) informed me that she would go back in and see what the problem was. Meanwhile, I waited outside wondering what was it this time? I mean, what could have possibly happened?! I figured she needed some help fully pulling up her pants or something. The older lady asked her what she needed. Then I overheard the urgent answer: “I need more toilet paper!” Yep. That’s my daughter. Crying for help in public because there was no more toilet paper in the public stall. The two concerned teenage girls laughed in relief as did the older woman, who gave her more toilet paper under the stall door. I myself couldn’t tell if I should be too embarrassed to laugh, or laughing from embarrassment. Help me, fatherhood is awesome! The little girl was “saved” and another crisis at Tuttle Mall was averted. 10 TV News could be called off. When Alyssa left the Women’s Room, I had to re-explain to her that she can’t just cry out “Help Me!” in public, but rather to just ask anyone in the restroom if they had any more toilet paper.
Once we walked back to Lane Bryant, Lisa was finishing up her shopping and I informed me of what had happened in the public restroom. At first, she was mortified. But once I told her the punchline, she got a good laugh out of it. Thanks, kiddo.
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