I just have to vent. I am ENRAGED, and trying to calm myself down by writing this.
My dh and I enjoy photography. It’s a hobby of ours. We normally get our photos printed through an online service. Tonight, however, we decided to get some printed at a local store.
When we went to pick them up, I walked up and gave the name they were under, and the woman behind the counter said coldly, “Yes, I’ve been waiting for you.”
I knew this couldn’t be good… So I waited to see what she would say. She pulled out the pictures and laid them on the counter and said, “You can’t print professional photos.”
I said, “These aren’t professional photos. My husband and I took these.”
She said, “I can tell these are professional.”
I said, “I don’t know how to convince you. We took these. It’s a hobby of ours.”
She said, “I’m not releasing them.”
My husband said, “So you’re penalizing us because we have good equipment and take good photos?”
She was kind of dumbfounded for a minute and then abruptly changed the subject and said, “Well, besides that, some of these are illegal.”
I said, “What do you mean?”
She said, “Well, they are indecent,” and she pointed to my nursing photos.
I said, “What’s wrong with them?”
And no kidding, she yelled out, “This is pornography!”
***Ok, I have to say that I am a calm person, but this set me off.***
I could barely contain myself, and I said, “Ma’am, this is NOT pornography. It is not indecent. It is not immoral.”
My 9 month old son was with me. She said, “This IS pornography, and I am offended by these photos.”
I asked, “Why?”
She said, “Because it shows your… your….” And then she stammered and stuttered and looked embarrassed.
I said, “Are you trying to say nipple?”
She said, “Yes, that!
And I said, “Actually my nipple does not show in any of those photos.”
She said, “Well it’s still wrong, and I’m not giving you these photos.”
I said, “I am not leaving this store until you hand over those photos. I will stand here all night if I have to.”
She said, “You’re going to get me fired.”
I said and I really was trying to be nice, “I’m not trying to get you fired. In fact, I’ll be happy to explain every bit of this to your manager.”
She declined of course, and then we were all just standing there.
So I said, “Can I please have my photos?”
She ignored me and said, “You do not have a right to feed him. He does not need to be breastfed.”
”Yes, I do,” I said. “I could feed him right here.”
She said, “No, you can’t. I have a right not to see it. You do not have a right to feed him.”
***And here is where I lost it. I shouldn’t have said this, and in fact, I feel quite remorseful, but I was so angry that it just came out, and I do not intend to offend anyone reading this with the next statement because I know there are MANY MANY wonderful formula feeding moms, and it does NOT mean they love their children any less, but I was caught in the moment and I honestly couldn’t help myself, but this is so unlike me.***
So it just came out of my mouth, “You were a formula feeder, weren’t you?”
She threw the photos at me and then threw several things around the photo lab.
We took our photos and left.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For the record, here are a few of the photos that she called “pornography.” (I’ve shared some of them on here before.)
A little sip once, a little sip twice...
On a beautiful evening
Such peace
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anyway, after writing all this out, I no longer feel angry. Now I just feel tired and most of all sad.
Sad to live in a world where breastfeeding is still perceived as "wrong."
Sad to look at my son and think some others find the way that I choose to feed him as "immoral."
Sad that I don't know how to make it all right.
My dh and I enjoy photography. It’s a hobby of ours. We normally get our photos printed through an online service. Tonight, however, we decided to get some printed at a local store.
When we went to pick them up, I walked up and gave the name they were under, and the woman behind the counter said coldly, “Yes, I’ve been waiting for you.”
I knew this couldn’t be good… So I waited to see what she would say. She pulled out the pictures and laid them on the counter and said, “You can’t print professional photos.”
I said, “These aren’t professional photos. My husband and I took these.”
She said, “I can tell these are professional.”
I said, “I don’t know how to convince you. We took these. It’s a hobby of ours.”
She said, “I’m not releasing them.”
My husband said, “So you’re penalizing us because we have good equipment and take good photos?”
She was kind of dumbfounded for a minute and then abruptly changed the subject and said, “Well, besides that, some of these are illegal.”
I said, “What do you mean?”
She said, “Well, they are indecent,” and she pointed to my nursing photos.
I said, “What’s wrong with them?”
And no kidding, she yelled out, “This is pornography!”
***Ok, I have to say that I am a calm person, but this set me off.***
I could barely contain myself, and I said, “Ma’am, this is NOT pornography. It is not indecent. It is not immoral.”
My 9 month old son was with me. She said, “This IS pornography, and I am offended by these photos.”
I asked, “Why?”
She said, “Because it shows your… your….” And then she stammered and stuttered and looked embarrassed.
I said, “Are you trying to say nipple?”
She said, “Yes, that!
And I said, “Actually my nipple does not show in any of those photos.”
She said, “Well it’s still wrong, and I’m not giving you these photos.”
I said, “I am not leaving this store until you hand over those photos. I will stand here all night if I have to.”
She said, “You’re going to get me fired.”
I said and I really was trying to be nice, “I’m not trying to get you fired. In fact, I’ll be happy to explain every bit of this to your manager.”
She declined of course, and then we were all just standing there.
So I said, “Can I please have my photos?”
She ignored me and said, “You do not have a right to feed him. He does not need to be breastfed.”
”Yes, I do,” I said. “I could feed him right here.”
She said, “No, you can’t. I have a right not to see it. You do not have a right to feed him.”
***And here is where I lost it. I shouldn’t have said this, and in fact, I feel quite remorseful, but I was so angry that it just came out, and I do not intend to offend anyone reading this with the next statement because I know there are MANY MANY wonderful formula feeding moms, and it does NOT mean they love their children any less, but I was caught in the moment and I honestly couldn’t help myself, but this is so unlike me.***
So it just came out of my mouth, “You were a formula feeder, weren’t you?”
She threw the photos at me and then threw several things around the photo lab.
We took our photos and left.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For the record, here are a few of the photos that she called “pornography.” (I’ve shared some of them on here before.)
A little sip once, a little sip twice...
On a beautiful evening
Such peace
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anyway, after writing all this out, I no longer feel angry. Now I just feel tired and most of all sad.
Sad to live in a world where breastfeeding is still perceived as "wrong."
Sad to look at my son and think some others find the way that I choose to feed him as "immoral."
Sad that I don't know how to make it all right.
was such a 
. 
:
