Today so much seems so tainted with “ugly”. From our business practices to our politics, to the one-up-man-ship. The “I must have this because he/she has that.” We see it in offices, we see it in our neighborhoods, we see it in schools, we see it in the print and visual ads and we hear it in our music.
I long for the days when we went outside until dark and were called in. I miss breadboxes, Mixmasters in the kitchen. I miss black and white TV and just a few stations. I miss listening to stories on the radio, marbles and Lincoln Logs. But most of all I miss honesty, integrity, someone opening the door for someone else and please and thank you rather than someone saying “no problem”…
Norman – You expressed your heart with words that stop and make us think. Thank you.
There is indeed so much ugliness in this world today. You can point to any number of reasons for why things are the way they are sometimes. I have many of the memories as you d. They are indeed treasured. Speaking only for me I would not want to go back to those days. A great man by the name of Martin Luther King Jr. was the victim of hatred many times over. However, he refused to hate. He fought against hate with love and respect. We must endeavor to show as much kindness as we can wherever we can and to whomever we can. No that will not change a lot but it will help. So many businesses have operated in a vacuum that is devoid of ethics or integrity. This is not a new problem but it has worsened. Business is a curious animal. It must be taught, trained and watched but it also sometimes has to do things a certain way. While I am not proud of it I did things in business that were not illegal but I bent mu share of the rules. There is still beauty in this world although sometimes it may be hard to see at first but it is there. I see along with read about all the violent or other goings-on that tarnish the world at the same time causing us to be angry or bitter. While I do break down I try to get released from that hold. Great article, Ken.
Norman: Rudeness or a lack of common courtesy has become so general that it is a mild surprise when one sees an act of kindness. I was going into my orthopedic doctor’s office last week. I was walking with a cane. As I approached the door a young woman (perhaps 16-17) on crutches entered in front of me. She stopped, laboriously turned around and held the door open for me. Clearly, there is at least one set of parents out there that have taught their daughter some class. What a rarety.