The Decline of Western 'Civil'-ization

Decorum; dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

You run across it every day, in every aspect of your life; the rude store clerk; the obnoxious driver; the loud cellphone user; the 'bumper-car' pedestrian; the child running around the restaurant. Manners and etiquette seem to be lost on most of us these days. We push, jostle, and bump each other without a second thought, oblivious to those around us, uncaring, self-centered... it's all about ME!

You have all undoubtedly experienced it:

The lone driver travelling down the left hand lane, "it's mine you know... came with the car", who refuses to move over to the right because it takes too much effort to turn the steering wheel three degrees to the right.

The child in the restaurant, crawling around under your table chasing his brother... and you don't even have kids.

The driver with the largest pickup truck you can buy, hauling the longest trailer you can get, travelling at 42 mph in the left hand lane uphill in a 60 mph zone, because it is his god given right to go 1 mph faster than his clone in the right-hand lane.

The two-women in the store aisle, who absolutely have to catch up on the past 23 years they haven't seen each other, stopped dead still, facing in opposite directions, blocking the aisle... well the other seventeen people who would like to pass can damn well just wait, and who shoot you the stink eye when you say 'excuse me'.

The man on the train (plane, bus, table...) arguing with his wife (girlfriend, significant other) on his cellphone loud enough for all to hear, glaring at those who dare to look in his direction and violate his 'privacy'.

The driver at the light... which turned green 17 seconds ago, text messaging his buddies about where they are going for beers after work, oblivious to the nine cars backed up behind him blowing their horns... it's my world you peons! Who finally goes...three seconds after the light turns red.

The clerk, sitting smugly behind the counter, insisting that you couldn't possibly have submitted the paperwork or else they would have it...obviously!

The person in front of you, who opens the door, glances briefly at you and deeming you unworthy lets it close in your face.

The drivers, who despite three miles of right lane closed signs, refuse to merge and who have to drive all the way up to the barricades before cutting off an eighty year old grandmother too scared to enforce her right of way in order to get in front of 78 other people who obviously aren't as important as they are.

Well, you've all met them, so I don't need to blather on endlessly, but I want to know when this behavior became the social norm. I for one, don't think I have changed much... I'll slow to let people into traffic in front of me (sometimes warranting the finger from the driver behind). I hold doors for people, male or female, because it is the right thing to do... even if I have to wait for them to catch up, and sometimes you get a thank you and sometimes you don't... I even had one person, who obviously didn't say thank you, let the next set of doors close in my face. I say please and thank you, you're welcome, good morning... you know, all the little social niceties your mother taught you (or should have). When, pray tell, did it become all about ME?

There is a guy at work who always makes coffee and brings it into our morning staff meeting, there are probably a half-dozen others who wouldn't pour water in the pot if it was on fire. There are those who will clean up when they are done, those who will clean up after others and those who won't even clean up after themselves. I've worked with folks who would give you the shirt off there backs and others who wouldn't give you the time of day if they had two watches. I have to admit, I am curious about what makes one and what makes the other... I'm not talking about people of disparately different backgrounds either. I'm talking about relatively successful people, in their prime, well educated, seemingly well bred, with diametrically opposed outlooks on life, not to be crude but "who pissed in your Wheaties this morning", often comes to mind.

I'm not trying to make myself out to be saint and I've had a fairly normal life too. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I've had my fair share of difficulties, bad relationships, hard financial times, medical problems. What is the difference between the guy who makes coffee and the guy who lets it burn? Is it the 'not my job' mentality? Is it beneath you to wipe up the coffee you spilled on the counter? I don't care if you are a migrant farm worker or the CEO of a fortune five-hundred company... where does this sense of entitlement come from?

I was laughing the other day during my drive to work at a talk radio show where they were talking about the French, how ill-mannered, rude, and obnoxious they were. With callers relating stories of personal experience, all the while travelling in rush hour traffic as people were cutting each other off, flipping each other off and overall, Americans being exactly what they were saying about the French.

But don't mind me... it's all about YOU!

~Finntann~