The Irony of Common Courtesy

I don't know how many times I have complained about this, but I complain about it a lot. Like a lot, a lot. To the point it probably annoys my husband. And every single time I go out in public, it gets worse. Slowly through my life I have started to hate going out in public, mostly because of having to be around the people. It's gotten to the point that I literally want to slap so many strangers that I come into contact with. The amount of respect that is missing from the way people are raised and taught today is honestly so disturbing.

Not just that is disturbing though. The amount of people who believe this to not be an issue is also ridiculous. I am 22, in 2019, and unfortunately my generation, and the generation both before and after me are getting blamed for the disrespect and ridiculous amounts of rude people causing problems. Literally whole generations. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, just ask someone about the "millennial" problem, and they'll fill you in, I'm sure.

Let me paint you a picture, because I have personally run into this sort of thing, pretty much no matter where I go. For example, when I am at the grocery store. Or hell, even if I'm walking on the sidewalk, the right thing to do is to say excuse me whenever someone else needs to get by you, or ya'll are taking up the same space, looking at the same product, etc. You always say excuse me. No matter what. But lately (like the last 5 years), I swear I run into people, or they run into me (literally right into me) because of them not moving, or saying excuse me, or even acknowledging that I'm trying to get past them. This also applies to holding the door for someone. I don't know how many times I've run into a closed door simply because the person in front of me didn't care to hold it, even though I was right behind them. AND the simple fact of when I hold the door for someone else, and not only do they not thank me, but they look at me like I'm the bellhop who's supposed to be doing that for them.

Like, no, that is a privilege, and something that everyone should be doing for everyone else. You aren't special because I decided to be courteous and hold the door for you. I did it because it's respectful. I mean humans can be so horrible to one another. Always try to be better than one another, thinking that some are less than others. Why can't we try to just be better than our past selves. Is that such a crazy idea? I don't know. Maybe I'm crazy.

I would say "don't even get me started on the bullying," but here I am, getting started on it. The bullying doesn't stop when you leave high school. It doesn't stop when you leave college. It's everywhere. And it always will be, as sad and pathetic it is, it will always exist in our world. And human beings can be so vile. Just the other day I was in the grocery store and a guy my age (20-23) was full out screaming at an elderly veteran. You read that correctly. An elderly. Veteran. Just full out screaming. Saying nasty things, and calling him names. I don't know the full story, but no one should be talked to that way. No one. For any reason. No matter how valid it may seem. Especially not an elder, or a veteran.

Another time happened in the gym. I have been trying to better myself physically, so my husband and I joined a gym, and being newer to the whole weightlifting thing, we can't lift like 200 lbs. Ya know? So we're taking it easy, and some guy, who you could tell has been going to the gym for a while, laughed at us as he went by. If I wasn't so tired from working out, I would have spoken up and said something and asked him what his problem was. But nonetheless, he laughed at us as we were lifting weights and then left. Who does that? Seriously. I don't know anyone worth knowing that would do that to another person.

To be blunt, it's not a generational thing. It really isn't. That's just a fact. I have met all walks of life, different races, sexes, ages, everything, that are both disrespectful and respectful. I have been friends with some of the kindest old ladies, and met some of the nastiest mean ones you could imagine, and the same goes for people my age, even those younger than 18. There are some really nice people who genuinely believe in starting off by being kind, and some who believe that everything has to be earned from the start.

I mean, what's the point of common courtesy? Let me tell you. Whoever invented it was a genius, because if it played out the way it should have, we would have a lot less issues with disrespectful people fighting each other to be head honcho in the middle of a Black Friday sale in WalMart. The whole point is this: One person is the beginning of a long line of dominoes. That person starts off by being kind, courteous, and respectful, no matter who they're dealing with, talking to, it doesn't matter. They are kind, courteous, and respectful at all times. And in turn, that domino hits another and so on and so forth, causing everyone to get along, be kind, be courteous, be respectful, because in the beginning there was and still is no reason at all to be upset with one another.

It's (and I can not stress this enough) SO important to start and end with kindness. In everything you do, think, and say. The positivity from it is not only good for yourself, but good for other people. Even if you got screwed over from something, what good does getting angry, hurting someone else do? It does nothing. Nothing but more problems. It's like watering and taking care of a weed. Some people will tell you that it makes you feel better, but if you'll take the time to read my other article about my PERSONAL anger issues, I can tell you from firsthand experience it doesn't do anything but maybe add guilt and shame to the list of bad emotions you're already feeling and battling within yourself. You start and end with kindness because in the end, it helps you deal with other people, and if you really don't care about other people, realize that it's also better for your own mental state than doing something you'll regret and live with for the rest of your life.

Other than talking about the problems in all of our lives. I just want you, my reader, to remember that you are valued, and that it doesn't hurt to kill them with kindness. It really doesn't. As ironic as that saying is. Of all the opportunities you have to choose from today, do me, NO, do YOURSELF a favor, and be kind to someone today. It doesn't have to be something major. Open the door for someone, offer to take out the trash for your mom, water a tree, plant some seeds, bring your sibling a coffee, or say excuse me in the grocery store. We could all do with a little more common courtesy sprinkled into our lives. There are no consequences to your own mentality for being kind to another.