Modern life is not easy. Too many people going too many places in too small of a space with not enough resources. It’s not a good situation. Then add a little heat like this summer and people are at their boiling points. Problem is, we all have to live on this little planet and the meaner we are to one another the harder it is to live.
I have been travelling for the last couple of weeks. If one wants to observe the human condition up close and personal in a confined place travel, summer in America in an airport or three is a microcosm of human behavior and, from what I observed, not a positive one.
Flights get delayed, overbooked, or cancelled. No one is immune. It doesn’t matter whether you bought a super saver fare or are flying first class. Since 9/11 security takes the longer, those people are trying to protect us and keep us safe, so why would people be impatient with them?
People are not at their best.
Yelling louder is not going to help move things along. (Tweet it!)
Complaining doesn’t help
In a security line at the number one ranked airport in the country I was standing behind a young family. The father was complaining loudly about everything. The government and their f…ing regulations (trying to keep him safe) the long line, (these incompetent people) trained and very efficient, the fact that he couldn’t believe he had to be in this line. He was a tall guy and the volume of his voice ensured that everyone in our line and the lines on either side of us could hear him. So could his small children. And his wife who had the posture of someone uncomfortable with the yelling. She was rigid and moving slowly and purposefully. Speaking quietly to her kids about what to expect.
We were all in line together. No one was going anywhere faster than anyone else but somehow this guy thought making everyone in a stressful environment more uncomfortable was okay. If his breath would have been colored he would have been spewing black clouds the color of smoke blocking out all the light in the room. Why did he feel entitled to be more badly behaved than his young children?
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What happened to “excuse me”?
A couple days ago I was having coffee with two friends. We stepped out on to the sidewalk and saying our goodbyes and a man walking his dog said to us in quite a hostile voice “this is a public throughway”. And he and his dog went down the street. He could of walked around us but somehow a party of women chatting incensed him so much that he had to be rude. Apparently “excuse me” wasn’t an adequate enough statement. We walked into the sunshine from a darkened cafe and couldn’t have seen him. He did, however, see us.
Did he pay more taxes so was more entitled to the sidewalk? I don’t think so. Was his name written on the sidewalk? Pretty sure not. Was he in hurry to get somewhere? Well… He was in a pair of shorts in the middle of the day strolling down the street with his dog. We stood there in stunned silence until the absurdity of the situation had us all laughing. There was no need to be so rude and yet he chose to be to make sure we knew we had inconvenienced him by five seconds.
My friend was talking about wanting to write a book call “So Rude”. And I wondered when it happened. And I realised that it was when the “please” and “thank you” were automatic. When standing in a line for a few minutes can cause someone to have a complete meltdown.
Our planet is not getting any larger. This may be a downturn in human history and we need to ride it out with as much optimism and patience as possible.
Remember these 5 rules for some clarity and sanity:
1. Say please when asking for something. People respond to kindness.
2. Say thank you when receiving something you have asked for. People appreciate thanks.
3. Wait your turn. I’m not saying wait six hours in line but check out your surroundings and if everyone is waiting too then take a breath and realize you won’t be in line forever.
4. Employ the golden rule whenever possible. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Basically treat other people the way you would be treated.
5. Remember it’s not always about you so take a breath and put yourself in the shoes of the security guy at the airport where summer doesn’t mean vacation. It means a bunch of crabby people crossing your path all day long when you are doing the best you can.
Be kind to yourself.
Now over to you: Do you agree? Do you have anything to add? I’d love to know.
