There's a Special Place For People Like Me

I took the boys yesterday to meet Daddy for lunch. We went to the playground behind his office. It is this massive complex with soccer fields, baseball fields, two playgrounds, walking trails, and a picnic area. It must cover about 20 acres. Because we arrived before Daddy (go figure), I drove all around to see everything. There were maybe three other cars there. All were occupied by people sitting in the driver's seats, eating their lunches. There were so few people there that when I got back to the first playground, I decided to park in the handicapped space right next to the entrance to the playground. I figured I would be there a while by myself with the boys, and I would probably have to go back to the car for something, and since the only regular spots were a good distance away, and I wouldn't leave Reeves on the playground if I went that far, and no one was there, I would be OK to park there. Even though we were so obviously alone, I still had a little twinge of guilt, but I was able to convince myself that I was justified in my decision, given the remoteness and solitude of the playground and the fact that I was manageing two children by myself.
No sooner had we settled in to heavy playground play than a big blue van pulled into the parking lot. At first I was a nervous due to the aforementioned remoteness and solitude, but it was quickly apparent that this was a van full of disabled people. Relief...no wait! They had been brought to the park to eat lunch at the nearby picnic area. I felt terrible! Of all days to have taken a handicapped spot! Then I saw that there was still a spot even closer to where they were going, so my guilt diminished a bit. They probably wouldn't have chosen the spot I had taken anyway. I had caused no undue stress on them or required any extra effort. Then...the second van pulled in. This one had to park on the other side of my car. Granted, it was only an extra ten feet or so, but I was crushed. What are the odds?
I have always been appalled by people who pull out a handicapped tag and hang it on their mirror in order to take the spots at the stores and then don't even have the care to at least limp to the door. I really think that is so inconsiderate and rude. Yet here I was, assuming that because I was the only person there and likely to remain so, that the handicap spots would not be used. I'm still pretty shocked that the only other vehicles that came to the park were two handicapped vans, but, I'll never take a spot agan.