As many of you know, living in a small town comes with a certain set of benefits and challenges as does living in any town. More specifically, living in the Buckle of the Bible Belt has its pros and cons such as everyone asking you what church you go to, more people being Republicans than Democrats unless you live in a city such as Knoxville, Nashville, Chattanooga, or Memphis, and not being able to step 5 feet into a restaurant without a cross being hung somewhere on the wall. But religion aside, most southern folks are known for being very caring, giving, and just generally nice, always willing to help their fellow neighbor out.
Lately the United States has been divided over each tweet 45 puts out on his Twitter, if climate change is real (it is, by the way), immigration issues, trans issues, and much more. As Robin from How I Met Your Mother states, “You guys are the world’s leader in handgun violence, your healthcare system is bankrupt, and your country is deeply divided on almost every important issue.” Even though this show was filmed back in 2005, these facts still reign true.
However, my issue with the current state of the world can be answered by one simple question: where did our sense of common courtesy go? When did we start being nice to people based on what we can get from them whether that’s money, power, or a promotion? When did promptly answering an email or text become so hard for people? We all have lives, we are busy with other things, but how hard is it to open the door for someone, text someone and ask how their day is, or give someone a compliment? How hard is it to write a reply if you’re busy or simply to show you received the message, but can’t get to it right now?
Imagine you have a family member or a best friend in desperate need of your help. They are broke, need a ride, or just want someone to talk to about how their day went. Now if I were in this situation, I would do anything I could for my friends because I care about their well being, and I know they would do the same for me. But even if you have such a close connection to someone, some people are still be reluctant to give up their time, money, or ears to someone unless it directs benefits them. We want to be helpful until it comes to us having to give up something in order to help others, then we’re out because it doesn’t convenience us.
So as you go about your day, look around you. Do you think common courtesy has died due to the current status of the world? Or do you still think it’s alive and well? Text your friend back you’ve been ignoring, hold the door for a stranger, or compliment someone on something you like about their outfit or personality. Let’s put some pure kindness back into the world even in the midst of this meteorologic and societal turmoil.
Coffee is Key 