Today - May 18, 2008

I can't help but wonder how the world has gotten to be so lazy and rude. Notice how everyone is always in a hurry? It makes people rude..and too lazy to say I am sorry. Lazy or rude? Who knows, guess that really depends on the individual.

Today I was at the grocery store. I was preparing to take a right out of the cleaning aisle when a young girl and her brother come from the opposite side. Seeing the children, I stopped immediately in my tracks. The little girl apologized to me saying "I am so very sorry." I think I stood there in shock for a full minute (probably 5 seconds but it sure felt longer) ....did this child just act in a polite manner? I was so shocked that I almost tracked down her parents to tell them they were doing a wonderful job raising their children. Is it pathetic that I was so shocked? Sad to say, but yes it really is. I'm so used to rude children who run all over God's creation as if they were the only people on the planet. They mow you down, don't listen to a word you say, and defy you in every way possible. It is refreshing to know that someone out there still believes in raising polite little beings even if the majority of parents don't seem to care.

That being said about this polite child... the adults were as rude as ever. Quite often I return from the grocery store in a bad mood and take it out on my poor sweet husband. Maybe I would not come home in such a mood if ONE person would say excuse me. Or maybe if one person would NOT act as if they own the store and leave their carts in the middle of the aisle while paying no attention to anyone around them. I still say "excuse me" if I pass through an area where someone is trying to review the shelves for that item they just can't seem to find, or can't seem to decide on. And it is not just the grocery store. Last week I was at a local Target store. I was kneeling down looking at swim suits on a rack when all of a sudden this woman kneels down right next to me and reaches over me to get a swimsuit bottom!! I grabbed my hand held basket and walked off while she was saying "oh you don't have to move, I'll just reach over you." My parents taught me to not say anything if you can't say anything nice and knowing how furious I was at this invasion of space.. I just walked off. I then went to the dressing room and when I came out the same woman is there standing in the way of anyone trying to get out! Maybe I should have apologized to her for invading her world, would that have been the polite thing to do?

Some days I just want to stay inside and not encounter the people in this world. I wish I was born during the Leave it to Beaver days. Maybe then my views on the world wouldn't be so harsh. Then I might encounter a polite child every day, be able to shop without having to deal with rude adults, and maybe I could have lived in a world where simple things were still important.