Friday, May 22, 2009

The Importance of Being Validated

In this age of hyper drive, it's easy to feel lost in the shuffle. Every day seems to add more to the seemingly insurmountable mass of tasks to address, yet there is something we can all do to help matters. Let's take the first step in restoring civility and dignity to our daily lives by displaying the same respect we demand of others. Sure it's hard to justify always playing by the rules when political and moral corruption abound, so we leave the shopping cart loose in the lot instead of walking it back to the cart corral. No big deal, right? Unless it's your car that gets dinged. Okay, it's a minor infraction, but it points toward a more pervasive attitude that seems to be on the rise. You know the one I'm talking about, it's called the "F" n' attitude. Notice how much road rage there is out there these days? And how come nobody ever says thank you anymore when I hold the door open for them? Maybe I'm being a little picky, but all I want is a little acknowledgement for my efforts, don't you? So listen up, here's the program. Whenever you have an opportunity to complement someone, do so. Don't look for reasons to put someone down, chances are someone has already done that. Use your turn signal: the driver behind you will really appreciate it and you may even avoid an accident. By the way, putting your headlights on in the fog and rain would be a good idea too, not to mention that it’s the law. Clerks and salespeople: we all know retail can be a drag, but try making the customer feel special instead of acting like you're doing him a favor by taking his money. I know your boss is a tightwad and your commissions are probably nil, but things haven't been exactly great for me in the employment arena either. As the economy continues to implode and the middle class rapidly dissolves into one huge socio-economic substrata, the rich and powerful will no doubt try to insulate them selves by whatever means possible. Let's not play into their hands by turning on each other at the slightest provocation.