I am tired of people having no sense of/regard for other people. In the mall or at the store, nobody looks behind them before they abruptly stop and take up an aisle while examining an item. Nor do they apologize when you politely say excuse me. People cut in front of you in the drive thru line even though you have the right of way, and refuse to let you in to traffic on a busy thruway.
It makes me bonkers! Everything I do, I take in to account how it will affect other people. Are my kids running around like maniacs? Or talking loudly in a restaurant? Or banging on the church pew with their hymnal? Let me take care of it so that I don’t disturb you. Am I in your way at the grocery store? Here, let me move my cart around the corner. It seems like common sense.
This morning, I dropped Liv off at daycare and I was running late. I always like to have a few quick words with the teacher before I leave, you know, tell her how she slept, or if she’s eaten and when the last time she peed was. On my way in, another mother was at the front desk telling them about her son’s illness and why he had been out, and that she stopped in for his blankie etc.. She followed us to the classroom and as I bent down to take Liv’s coat off, she went in to the story with the teacher of how sick her son was. And then got out some DVDs she had made for the teacher. And then talked some more about her precious sick baby. And then inquired as to what Thanksgiving activities he would miss next week if he still happened to be sick, and this went on and on. Meanwhile, I stood there kissing and hugging the baby, getting her seated at her table and hoping to catch the teacher's eye or at least a break in the conversation. No luck. I loudly said goodbye to Liv and to her teacher, and left.
Now, the lady wasn’t wrong for coming in or for talking to the teacher. And maybe she too had to get to work and had some things to say. But I had to do those things too AND I had to drop my kid off. And I was probably wrong for being a bit huffy, but come on! And I think the teacher should have stepped away from the conversation for a second too.
Am I way off here? Was I not as wronged as I thought? I don’t know. It seems petty now. But I do think that everyone could pay better attention to the people around them and think not only of themselves for a change.
Or, maybe I just need to think about me and nobody else.
6 comments:
Yeah, it could definitely have been handled better--the teacher could have asked the other lady to excuse her for a second when she saw that you were waiting to speak with her, or the other woman could have noticed that you were waiting and wrapped it up or stepped aside for a second. I mean, I've definitely heard of worse breeches of etiquette than this, but I would have been irritated too.
Maybe they didn't notice, but this general kind of thing is one of my biggest pet peeves. I was thinking about this very thing while waiting behind the nimrod at the bank drive through who sat there chatting on their cell phone AFTER their transaction was over. I know THEY didn't know i had 3 crabby kids in the car, but COME ON.
Devan- that is EXACTLY my point.
YES, YES, it's not each individual thing, it's the GENERAL problem of it happening time and time again in every situation all day long: in traffic, at work, at the store. I get so incredulous when person after person parks a cart in the middle of the aisle so no one else can get by: it's not that it's such a huge crime, but it's so INCONSIDERATE and it happens so much more often than chance would predict. Like, I've occasionally blocked someone else unintentionally, so I'd assume anyone might do it from time to time---but it happens WAY MORE OFTEN than that. And when I see I've inadvertently blocked, I say, "Oh!! Geez!! Sorry, I'm just hogging the WHOLE AISLE here and didn't even notice!!" But when someone else notices, IF they notice, they don't move! What is WITH that??
(I'm still feeling stabby, are you?)
I read this great statement a while back and it stuck with me. It goes something like this: Most people have heard of the statement "treat others as you wish to be treated" which is nice; but the new take on this is "treat others as they wish to be treated".
I guess the thing that really rings true for me is that to treat others how they wish to be treated, you need to know what that is; and to know you must find out. I like that. Take the time to find out how someone wants to be treated.
I'm such a simpleton aren't I? Love you. Paprika
I'm right there with you. If there is one thing I can't stand it's people be inconsiderate of others. Sadly I've noticed a few of our "friends" behaving that way. It drives me batty, and I always vent to Matt when they leave.
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