Home Training

Lately I've been coming up with topics to blog about and then they just escape me somehow. This came to me this morning and it seems less crucial than the other topics I came up with; but since I don't know what those topics were...I'll talk about rudeness.

It sad, but I have to admit that this generation has lost the grip on the concept of manners. Not just young people; but anyone going around and living today. It's the "me, me, me" age. I complained about it while in Miami, just like my sister complains about it up at her college. But I think it's everywhere...you just cannot escape it.

This was brought to the forefront of my attention last week when my sister, mother and I went to see Iron Man in the movie theatre. Here was a good movie that was obviously scripted to be entertaining...and yeah, Black people do have the tendency to really get into whatever they enjoy (more on that later) so we are not "silent" movie goers. But we are far from acting simple. And there was this upper middle-aged White couple that was. I mean they were totally out of line. Clapping and shouting, "Oh my G-d, that was so funny!" or "I knew he was going to do that!" Ok. You are either drunk or on something but whatever the case is, you need to be quiet now. This is not y0ur house and you are truly acting like you have no sense. It was really beyond being disrespectful of the other people in the theatre.

Since my accident, I have noticed more of the nuances that show that someone thinks only of themselves. Like going out to public places I often times will walk in behind someone and they do not hold the door. I do this even when a person is not disabled...and you almost always sense if someone is behind you. Another pet peeve I have is when I pay for something. Often times I am conscientious of people in line behind me, but I do have an extra thing to carry and like to get things "set" before I leave. So when I pay for something, it takes a few seconds to gather stuff, put the change in the wallet, grab the cane, and go. But when the cashier says, "Next please" and I just got my receipt, I now have to apologize and scoot my stuff out of the way for the next customer. Geez.

One thing I do notice about PA is that you can pretty much hang out at a traffic light after the light turns green for a few seconds and no one will honk at you. Well in my driving up here, I have not seen it yet. In Miami, this happened all of the time. I wonder why people up here are a bit more tolerant of that?

I am thankful that while in Miami, most of my social life revolved around the religious community -- in that I honestly believe that religious families maintain and teach their children a little bit more about being kind and considerate of others. They also maintain a sense of self-pride and wholesomeness that sort of makes you strive for self-improvement. Now I am not saying that people who are not religious do not do this. But there is a marked difference that I really cannot deny (and others who have observed religious vs. non-religious people would probably agree). However up here, I have not seen or been exposed to really religious people outside of my family. But people do possess an aire of being a bit behind the times...so the rudeness that sort of defines this day and age hasn't caught up to us yet...it will be sad when it does.

Because then I will need to stop going to the movies all together...because I'm not into spending my money to hear the loud outbursts of strangers.

{Postscript}: I think one of the tragedies (and yes that is a strong term, but I'm going to use it anyway) is the way that the modern-day African-American community accepts bad, rude, and uncouth behavior as if it is ok. Some even take pride in it. Yes, Black people have a lot to be upset about...and I am not a fan of "turning the other cheek". But being late, cursing all the time, being loud everywhere, and dressing like you should be in a cartoon furthers you how as a person? And how does it help the overall image of Black people in this country? Maybe it's just wishful thinking but I wish Black people would push for living a life and acting a way that would actually make non-Black people jealous of us in some way. And we are not there yet...not even close.