A new motto...

It is okay to be nice.

Why is it that people feel that it is acceptable to be rude? A recent comment on Heather's blog brought up something that has been bugging me for awhile... people are mean. For no apparent reason, for no cause what so ever, they are just plain rude. Here are several examples:

1. Strangers being rude to strangers: Under the guise of internet anonymity people feel that it is is acceptable to put-down, degrade and generally make others feel like a pile of steaming poo-poo. Why does this make you feel good? What purpose does it serve? They were not harming you in any way. In fact, they didn't even know you existed until you decided to send a little verbal shrapnel their way. Unacceptable.

2. Refusing to help those in need: I understand that it is a scary world sometimes. I don't pick up hitch hikers and I don't help people stranded on the side of the road. In fact, I would be leery of someone who stopped to help me on the side of the road. This is the unfortunate reality that we live in. However, if I can help someone, in an environment that is safe, I am all for it. The other day I was in the baby food isle of Target when a gentleman with a cane came cruising up in an electric cart. He asked the women next to me what kind of foods she would recommend for a baby eating solid foods. She gave him a look of death and said she didn't know. She had an 8 month old infant in her cart. I asked him what types of food he was looking for. Turns out he is a new grandfather looking to stock his pantry for his 10 month old granddaughter who will soon be coming to live with him. Look, if a man in an electric cart asks you for help with baby food at Target I think a courteous answer is more then safe, in fact, I think it is a requirement. He didn't ask you to go to his car in a dark alley and help him feed his 10-month old granddaughter. All he asked for was a little advice... about a baby... that he is taking care of out of the goodness of his heart. Shame on you.

3. And perhaps the most disturbing of all... Kids. As I spend more and more days in the classroom I find that I hear the following words all too often: shut-up, stupid, fat, ugly, dumb, retarded (I take offence to this one on multiple levels), gay (completely unacceptable and, no, I do not believe you when you say you meant "happy"), idiot, lame etc. And here is the best part... these are kids talking to their friends. If I spoke to my friends that way I wouldn't have any... "Hi, Heather. Those pants make you look really fat and, by the way, shut-up, everything you have to say is lame." These kids are 13 years old. Where did they learn this behavior? Probably from some of the people that fall in to the above two categories. We are shaping young minds people; a little concentrated effort to shape them for the better would do us all a world of good.

You know, maybe you were one of the kids that was raised to think rudeness was okay.
Good for you. But, you are an adult now; someone who is capable of making rationale decisions. Change your attitude. Try helping someone. I would venture to say that the positive feeling you get from genuinely helping one person will change your tune instantly. At a loss as to what to do? Try one of these:

1. Hold the door for someone--even if they are 10 or 15 paces behind you.
2. Next to someone who dropped something? Pick it up for them.
3. Crossing the street with an elderly person? Match their pace so they don't feel so bad about taking an extra few minutes to make it across.

None of these will take more then 3 minutes out of your day but they might make someone else smile for a whole 5. It's worth it. Go forth and do good. Just saying.