What About The Child?

I was on the aisle that sells the paper plates, tin foil, and trash bags.
It is also the aisle that sells stationary: pens, pencils, paper, and crayons.
This is the aisle that has magazines and books as well.
It is the aisle that I go down each week, but this day was different.

I am always amazed at the placement of things in the supermarket.
Sugary cereals are usually on the lower shelves.
Eye pleasing candy is found at the cash registers at just the right height for little fingers.
Shopping the perimeter of the store is often the healthiest route.

I am always thankful for one small thing at the cash register.
It is here that magazines are covered.
It is here that magazines have a barrier in front of them.
It is here where someone decided that certain magazines are not appropriate for little eyes to see.

I have always appreciated the store’s moral stand.
I have always admired that they aim to protect young eyes from things they may not understand.
I have thanked the store in years past for their discretion.

On the stationary aisle this day, I noticed a child.
He was looking at a magazine on the display.
I turned to see the magazine that annually publishes a swimsuit issue.
That is the magazine that was catching the little boy’s eye.

A strategically placed arm was the only thing that separated coyness from total nudity.
This little boy was seeing things that intrigued him.
He was seeing things he did not understand.
He was staring at a woman, a woman he did not know.

I was sad for this little boy.
For all intents and purposes, a bit of his innocence was taken from him.
Was it the magazine’s fault?
Was it the fault of the model on the cover?

Was it anyone’s fault?
Is the store responsible?
What about free speech?
What about free press?

What about the child?

I thought of that beautiful woman on the front of the magazine.
I thought of all the men, young and old who will be staring at her.
I thought of all the people who know nothing about her yet know her in such a private way.
I thought of the daughter she is to someone, the sister or even the wife she may be to someone.

What husband would want his wife to be stared at by another man?
What father would want his daughter revealed in such an intimate way?
She has the right to model; the magazine has the right to publish.
What about the child?

I can’t imagine the questions this little one must have had about what he saw.
I hope that as he gets older, he learns to take the time to know the heart of women.
I hope that he will learn to protect a woman and not objectify her.
I hope that he will begin to cherish a woman’s uniqueness as God created her.

I went through the grocery line.
What I saw on the paper aisle bothered me as I weaved through the store.
If magazines can be covered with a barrier at the cash register, why not on the paper aisle?
If magazines can be covered at someone’s discretion in one place, why not another?

I bagged my groceries and thought of the little boy.
I put my groceries in the cart and thought of his wide eyes.
I put my wallet back in my pocketbook and thought of his confusion.
I pulled my cart out of the grocery line and imagined his questions.

I went over to the customer service desk.
One of the managers was standing there.
I walked up to him.
He greeted me with a smile.

Thank you for always using discretion at the cash resister by covering certain magazines.
You’re welcome, he said proudly, discretion is important to us.
I hope that it is not just important near the cash register, I added as he listened.
You may want to go back to the stationary aisle and see if discretion is obvious there as well.

A light bulb went on.
Oh, I see, he said and I knew he did.
I will go back there and make sure a barrier is placed in the front.
I will even put a piece of cardboard over it if I have to, he said and I knew he meant it.

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)

What about the child?
What can we do to secure his innocence?
I did not go back to the stationary aisle to see if the manager was true to his word.
I know he was, in fact I am certain he was.

Discretion is important to him.
Discretion should be important to all of us, for the sake of the child.