Sunday, March 27, 2011

It sounds so simple, doesn't it? Be nice

The light had barely changed from red to green when the lady in the car behind me laid on her horn. I wasn't daydreaming. I hadn't hesitated. I literally had just started shifting my foot from the brake to the accelerator. I was a little shaken.

Standing in the work cafeteria line, waiting to pay for a bag of chips, I heard the man in front of me - the one wearing the $200 suit - let out a huge, wet-sounding belch. He glanced back at me and shrugged. No "sorry." No "excuse me." Nothing.

And yesterday, pulling out of the grocery store lot, I was cut off by someone who zipped out in front me and zoomed out into traffic.

A lot of stuff like that has been happening lately. Doors swinging back in my face. A mess left in the office kitchen. Rudeness I didn't ask for and didn't understand. It made me mad. Then it made me sad. I started thinking: Isn't anybody just plain nice anymore?

At church, our priest told the story of how he had taken his 92-year-old mother out to dinner at a local restaurant. It was crowded, and they were waiting for their names to be called for a seat. The wait was about 20 minutes. His mother ended up leaning against the lobby wall. Not one person - including a family with three able-bodied, texting teens - offered to give up a seat. They apparently didn't think about it, and their parents didn't tell them to.

That made me even sadder. I don't want to be like that. I don't want my kids to be like that, either. I vowed I wouldn't; that I would go against the grain and try to be nicer. Then I found out I wasn't alone.

Check out http://www.operationnice.com/Because you know what? The world is mean enough already.

3 comments:

  1. I tried the link and it didn't work. I agree with you on all points. Once, an older than me gentleman and I had an minor disagreement about who should be sitting - him or me! Honestly, it was refreshing and his wife was getting a kick out of it BTW I sat after getting the 'ok' nod from his wife! I'm always on my son to remember his manners - I just wish other people would return the favor sometimes. *sigh*

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  2. Hey, Kris:

    Sorry about that - I fixed the link! Thanks for bringing it to my attention. (And good for you for holding your own and getting a seat!!)

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  3. Hi Diane,
    I agree with you completely. Just popping over to www.operarionnice.com now. :)

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