Uncommon Decency
After today (and more days then normal recently), this just seems even more true.......
It seems lately that common decency is becoming more and more uncommon...
My line of work is always full of challenges but some days bring more than others.
The way I was brought up...private property is private property. You do not enter onto it without permission and if you do happen to enter unknowingly and encounter someone who asks you to leave, you do so...expediently while apologizing.
The way some children today seem to have been brought up (and I preface that as some...not all), they feel that they can do whatever they please, whenever they please, have zero accountability...and when they are asked to do something they feel they do not want or need to do...LOOK OUT!
Take today for example...
I'm sitting in my truck on the phone in the parking lot at my office (trying to wrap up my day) when three young boys on their silly little BMX-like bikes decide they want to do their silly little stunts on the railings of the front entry ramp of our building.
I sit there, watching as they continue trying their 'moves' but more often then not, they're wiping out. I do Health & Safety based work for a living and this was not sitting well with me for mannnyyy reasons. I start the truck, roll down my window, ask the Manager I am on the phone with to please hold for a minute and ask these three children to please stop what they were doing and vacate the premises....
WELL....you would swear I asked them to cut off each others heads! I was met with a barrage of these little boys asking me who the hell did I think I was, how dare I even suggest that they not do what they were doing and that what they were doing was fun so I could just 'screw off'.....I asked one more time for them to leave and if they didn't, I would call the police as they were on private property. They continued on what they were doing, saying they didn't care if I called the police, I could go right ahead, they had every right to be there. A few other comments were thrown my way and one of them got much too close to the open passenger window of my vehicle to 'chirp' at me...and that was it....I pulled my other phone out (all the while the Manager is still on hold and I could hear him chuckling on the other end as how ridiculous this situation was) and called the police. I was just finishing giving the operator the information and these 3 'big boys' quickly turned into little cowards and took off, again, mouthing off as they pedaled away....all the while, one of the guys from the office had just come out to do the same thing I had already been trying to do. He just stood there...shaking his head.....and by that time, I was...well...to try and put it nicely...I was BEYOND ticked off!
I don't know what stunned me more....the fact that A) they felt that they could do what they were doing to begin with or B) that when they were asked to stop what they were doing, they responded the way they did.
Believe me, I'm farrrrrr from perfect...but one thing I will never, ever, EVER put up with is an entitlement attitude...or...attitude..period......NEVER!
I know...I know...BIG PICTURE...this is a little blip on the radar....sometimes I think the saying below is true about certain things...
But then I also take a step back and it hits me....I turn on the news every night and this same type of behaviour, attitude, approach is not a minor thing....these kids from today will grow into the so-called-adults tomorrow that feel society owes them everything, that rules/laws don't apply to them, that they shouldn't have to do anything they don't want to do..and worst of all...if they are asked to actually just do their basic share of being a part of society, they 'go-off'....making it their full time job to do as little as possible, coming up with excuses and just causing s*&t.......SO SCAREY!!
Ok...deep breath.....I'm good now.....venting session is over..
Needless to say..after my anger dissipated today, I became disappointed....I just shook my head, packed up the truck as I watched 2 police cruisers drive by in the direction the kids had taken off and I drove home....To my home I have worked hard to make for myself and no matter what, I will continue to give my all every single day as interactions such as this remind me to be thankful I was raised so well, that I have had manners instilled in me, that I believe in being a good and descent person...and most of all, that that type of behaviour is sooooo foreign to me, I know I could never, ever be 'that' person!
I'm actually smiling as I finish this post as I was able to find these 3 'take-aways' from today's events...
Let's all just be descent human beings and treat each other with respect...I don't think that is too much to ask!
RR
