This morning my husband came home extremely distraught. It was 7:45 am and he had just come home from his morning walk. For the past 5 months, he’s been going out every single morning for an hour to get himself in shape – partially for my benefit and partially so he can be around for our two young children. When the weather started to dip he began heading over to my mother’s house to walk on her treadmill.

The quickest way from our house to her’s is through the field of Grand Centre Middle School. As far as we were concerned, walking trough there at 6:30am and returning at 7:30am was perfectly acceptible – the first school bell doesn’t ring until after 8.

I’m sure he looked pretty silly wearing a trench coat and shorts out in -20, but the coat would cover most of his legs and being cold does burn more calories. Everytime he passed someone he assumed they were thinking “What a nut! He must be so cold!”.

Neither of us were prepared for what one of the janatorial staff said to my beloved husband this morning. “People think you’re crazy you know… I mean they actually think you’re crazy, like there’s a pedophile or something coming through the school because you have shorts and that long coat on.” He explained.

Nobody should have to explain to someone that they`re not a pedophile because of how they look.

This is a fantanstic example of what our society is coming to. People use such harsh words in totally inapporopriate situations. `He wears shorts and walk through a schoolyard  before children are there, so he must be a pedophile` is the same as saying `She wears a hood and walks past a closed bank every day, she must be a bank robber`. Neither have any merit, but they do hurt peoples feelings.

What would happen if this person told someone else, and when he  takes  our daughter to school they all of a sudden think her father’s a pedophile? What happens if a child at this school goes missing? Is my husband to blame?

Please think about what you’re saying and the romours you’re spreading. They’re likely untrue and surely are hurtful. My husband is a loving father to our 2 year old daughter and 4 month old son – not a pedophile.