Be a glimmer of hope.

     I'm very outspoken.  I will argue about just about anything.  Ask my mom, dad or husband.  However, one thing I try really hard not to be is just completely rude.  Especially to strangers to whom I have no reason to be rude.  I hold doors for someone coming in behind me.  I wait in line and don't try to cut to the front of other people who have been patiently waiting.  I tip well, sometimes even when I get not so great service.  I say please and thank you.  I don't park my cart in the middle of a grocery aisle, leaving other shoppers stuck on either side of me.  If I can help it, I don't sit in front of people who are shorter than me in the movie theater.  The common theme of each of these thing is that I am thoughtful of the people around me.



       It's really not that hard people.  Have we really become a generation that cares more about ourselves than anyone else?  Are we at a point where we only care about the people who surround us if it doesn't inconvenience us or if it benefits us in some way?  I sure hope not.


     I do see some glimmers of hope occasionally.  The 8-10 year old boy at the store that holds the door open.  The customer in line with a completely full cart that lets you pass by when you have an item or two.  Why does it seem those little glimmers are so few and far between?

     I was at the grocery store yesterday and by the time I left I was almost to the point of tears.  First, I was reading a label on a product and a woman literally pushed me out of the way to get a product.  She must have had ninja like shopping skills, as I didn't see her creep up behind me.  Instead of an, "Excuse me", I got an elbow in my face.  Then I moved down an aisle that was literally completely blocked.  People perusing the offerings on the shelves, all while parking their carts right in the middle of the aisle.  When I finally broke through the aisle 2 gridlock, I moved to aisle 3 in which two women were having a lively conversation full of loud expletives.   Now, I'm no prude.  I can throw out curse words with the best of them.  However, I generally try not to use language I wouldn't use in front of my grandma when there are FOUR young children within earshot.  So next I had to find a lane.  Apparently northern Kentuckians were afraid there might be a blizzard over night because the checkout lanes were backed up into the aisles.  You would expect someone in those lines to think about the fact that carts may need to get through, right?  I was waiting for another cart to come through the one lane pass that the checkout waiters allowed passing carts to use.  They finally came through and I started to roll forward when a woman on a store scooter RAN OVER MY TOE while passing me.  At that point, I decided enough was enough.  I cart blocked her and booked it to the closest checkout.  I checked out and ran as fast as possible to my car, threw my groceries in and sped home.


     I'm not sure at what point we just completely removed our lack of concern for others from our society.  I think it's been a slow evolution.  I don't know at what point it jumped into overdrive, but it did.  It's completely evident in politicians.  The major driving force of 99.9% of politicians is not concern for those around them.  It is for themselves.  They care so passionately about lining their pocket and posturing themselves at the top of the heap that they have completely forgotten all about the people around them.  Us.  The voters.  We're not any better than them.  We care so much about being on the "right" side that we don't step back and look at what they are really doing to us.


     I'm going to wrap this post up with a challenge.  I challenge each and every person who reads this to be hyper aware of those around you.  Hold the door open for the person behind you.  Say please and thank you.  Watch your mouth in public.  Don't step over someone to get ahead in a line.  Teach your children to be aware of people around them.  Just show concern for those around you.  Are we going to change the world overnight?  No.  Maybe the person you held the door open will think about that moment and start being more aware of who's behind them.  Maybe YOU can be that glimmer of hope for the stressed out mom at the grocery store.  Just maybe.