What amazes me is how blatantly nasty people can be to complete strangers! I'd like to coin a phrase to higlight the current decade/millenium and to honor the jerks who routinely cross my path - "Rude 2000s." I ran into Best Buy to buy one more thing for my son's school supplies (never ending list of expensive this and that), and the guy in line at the register in front of me is carrying on a loud conversation on his cell phone. The cashier is trying to get his attention to let him know that he can't use his debit card, and the guy is ignoring her and handing her cards and swiping cards at random. Finally, he says, "Hey, I'm going to have to call you back." Then he turns to the cashier and says (add sneer here), "Now what is your PROBLEM?" She tells him that there are signs all over store about debit cards and that he just swiped one - so he has to swipe again. No big deal, right? He continues his obnoxiousness while the line gets longer behind him, and finally LISTENS to what she's asking, signs the screen, and leaves.
What do I do now? I feel obligated to try to pick this girl's self esteem off the floor after being abused. I was extra nice, rolled my eyes about the last guy's attitude and etiquette-busting behavior with his cell phone, and even attempted some lame humor. When I left, she was again smiling.
Question - are we obligated to each other to lift each other up? We often answer that "yes" when it's a Christian brother or sister - but what about "random acts of kindness?" Is that too mundane or should we seek out opportunities to just be nice to people? What does it mean to be "the salt and light of the world?" Some interpret this to mean that we have to shove our beliefs on everyone who walks within 10 ft of us. I'd like to propose something different. I'd like to think that we can love one another (not just those like us; even the unlovely) and accomplish a lot more in this life.
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