The last week of April, my family (including two dogs -- but not River!) traveled via car to Kentucky to visit my family. Long car rides, especially when you are not the driver, offer great opportunities for observation and introspection. In addition to enjoying the varying terrain on the 14+ hour one-way drive, there was an opportunity to observe and interact with a lot of people along the way.
One of the things I noticed throughout the trip, both from personal interaction and from observation -- with driving habits being a leading indicator -- is the absence of courtesy and kindness on the part of a large number of folks. People are in a hurry, distracted, stressed, and focused on getting "there" (wherever "there" happens to be). I observed drivers in a hurry to the point of driving recklessly; interactions between customers and shop employees that didn't involve eye contact or even a word; and folks that rushed past not mindful of any person or object in their path.
Seeing all this, I made the extra effort to be courteous, especially to those working in stores. The people I talked to seemed to really appreciate the chance to actually talk and not just be looked at as an impediment to checking the next box off of someone's endless "to do" list. And these opportunities gave me equal appreciation to connect with another person.
Of course this lack of courtesy, while prevalent, did not reflect all my experiences. I had the most pleasant time as a woman brought her six month old over to our car at a rest stop to look in the window at our two dogs. Her grandson had never seen a dog. I brought one of our dogs out the car to meet the woman and her grandson. We had a chance to share child rearing stories with each other and this little boy had his first chance to meet a dog. I left the rest stop feeling so good.
What a small effort it takes to acknowledge a person -- to smile, to say "hi", to say "thank you". And those small actions not make other people feel better, it makes us feel better. It also makes this world a kinder, better place to live in.
This week, take a small step to making this world a kinder place -- be kind and considerate to others.
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