Our world is developing into a dizzying array of multi taskers and zoned out electronic addicted zombies. Don't get me wrong, I too, love my computer, cell phone, although it it not the latest and greatest model, and LED T.V., however, I do miss good old fashioned conversation in person with another human being. I digress...anyways, I believe that approximately 99 percent of the rudeness which one encounters on a daily basis, can be traced back to the fact that people are genuinely not present in their daily encounters and this can largely be attributed to their lack of a solid foundation in etiquette as well as their dependence upon the utilization of electronics in their daily interface with others. The recent unfolding disaster in Japan has shone a light on another side of humanity, one which used to be commonplace in the United States. The Japanese, despite being faced with loss of loved ones as well as a growing nuclear threat which could kill many, still exhibit a daily grace and selflessness, an example being the story of a 78 year old Japanese man who was portrayed on a local news channel rushing to clean his house, why? So he could then help his neighbor. When individuals from Japan, who are faced with possible death of themselves and the death of loved ones and such ultimate destruction, can put others before themselves, this behavior broaches sainthood in my opinion! In light of recent world events, I find myself wondering if it will take a disaster such as Japan's to wake us up to what really is most important in our lives. We surely have had plenty of homegrown disasters already, none of which appear to have brought the majority of us together.
Not long ago, showing courtesy was common...a social norm. Many social interactions were more enjoyable, or at the risk of sounding "trite" more authentic and original. Situations have seemed to flip-flop in the era we now live in, where any courtesy, or non drone-like behavior, is noted for its rarity, rather than its commonality. I am not trying to damn our entire populace, however, I am suggesting that we as humans, need to get out of our own little worlds, a.k.a. egos, and realize what a genuine social interaction is in fact. Surely, what it is not is...texting, face booking, tweeting, or driving like you are possessed by Dale Earnhardt's ghost to get to your next drab meeting, etc. By not developing our skills in the area of common courtesy, we are no longer considering how our actions impact others. The lack of courtesy as a value in one's life causes a person to operate on the basis of what is most convenient for them, for example, not allowing a person to cross a road in a cross walk when they have the right away, speaking on your cell phone while in the check-out lane in a supermarket, not saying please and thank you, the list is too long to mention and frankly, causes me to wonder what the hell is going on with humanity in general?
Many people, when faced with daily news of tragedy, such as Katrina, Christchurch and more recently, the Japanese disaster, do send donations...my question, is why does it take a disaster for people to respond? Why does an event have to be both catastrophic and pushed in the public's face in order for a response?
I really think we all need to get back to the basics and to teach our young people the habits of courtesy. Why? Because manners and courtesy are essential in preventing the continued deterioration of modern society. Bad manners are expanding into many societal ills affecting us all on many levels such as: family, work, friendships, business and politics. It seems as if today's society regards courtesy as old fashioned and out-of-date. thus providing a rationalization for many people to behave rudely, thus, making interaction difficult and creating rifts amongst people. We all have the power individually to make a change as one person doing so creates a "ripple" effect of positivity in the world. I hope that at the very least, we become aware that our actions do affect others, especially during these huge times of planetary change.
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