I will try to keep this from becoming a rant because I honestly want answers. There are a number of things lately that have reminded me that people can be so very annoying and rude, and I just don’t see a reason for it.

Example one: Melody’s school has only 10 parking spaces because it is a converted front office of a former elementary school. The main, large parking lot for the school is around the corner and has upwards of 50 spaces. Each space at the preschool is clearly marked “preschool parking only.” Right next to the small lot is a large field where youth soccer, baseball/softball, and football teams practice. Instead of parking in the large public lot around the corner, many sports parents will park in the preschool lot. This results in limited to no parking for the preschool parents on a regular basis. The preschool director has even placed fliers on the sports team cars, reminding them the preschool parking lot is for the preschool. These sports parents do not care that they are occupying the preschool parking. Why? Is it because they feel entitled to it for some reason? Is it because they were burned by some preschool parent in the past and this is their way of sticking it to preschool parents everywhere? I think the real answer is they are too lazy to walk from the large public lot because it’s about 75 yards away from the preschool lot.

Example two: rush hour traffic is bad enough, but there are always “those drivers” who have to weave in and out, cutting people off, not letting others merge in, just so they can stay one car ahead of the other guy. You know who they are and they are annoying, right? Have you ever noticed that by the time traffic is moving a little better, these drivers are somehow behind you again? How is it possible when they spent the last 30 minutes cutting people off and zipping ahead car by car? My only guess is karmic (carmic?) payback. The other type of driver is the one who cuts in and out and tailgates in fast moving traffic. Again, so unnecessary and in faster traffic very unsafe. They get to their location maybe a couple minutes sooner than if they drove safely. But why is it necessary in the first place?

Those are just two examples but you know there are more out there, every day more and more. Why is that? Have we become such an egocentric society that getting to the offramp two seconds sooner than another driver somehow makes us feel better? I wonder at times if we have. Think about it. If a group of people were walking down the street, the likelihood is low that one person in the group would rudely push people out of the way, just to get to the crosswalk first. We say things on the internet we would never say to someone in person. Parents have become desensitized to courtesy because the so-called role models – celebrities and sports stars – don’t often have any.

We work so hard to teach our children to say please and thank you, yet adults neglect this common courtesy on a regular basis. Have you ever noticed when you look into someone’s eyes and say thank you, it really makes a difference? Just by acknowledging they exist through looking at them, you have made that person aware that you appreciate them. Doesn’t matter if the person is the janitor of the building or an executive of the company. Saying please and thank you shows people that you value them. We all want to be valued. Just imagine if everyone took the one second necessary to say a sincere thank you to the person holding the door or letting them go ahead in the grocery store line. It might not be the tonic to cure the ills of America, but at least we would all be living the lessons we teach our children.