The Conundrum of Caring (Martial Arts Studio Blog)

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The Conundrum of Caring
By Mrs. Sarah La France

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I went to get gas the other day… Wawa of course. Sixteen pumps and not one of them was open. So, I choose one and pulled in behind the car to wait. That’s when I noticed… the driver of the car was not at the pump nor in the car. Nope. He had walked in to Wawa to buy something and left his car sitting there.

It was frustrating. As I sat there waiting for the driver to return to his car (still no other pumps open), I had a moment to consider similar things that are frustrating:

And it led me to this question…

When did people stop caring?

We’ve all seen it/dealt with it. Parents who let their kids grab things off the shelf… throw them onto the floor… and then just walk away without picking them up. Or, the neighbor who parks his car on the street directly behind your driveway so that you cannot back out.

The rules seem to simply not apply to some people. And they don’t care about them.

This society – our society – was built on people using social graces and simple manners. “Pleases”… “thank you’s”… and “no, you firsts”… bridged the gaps between ages… different communities… and economic differences. It made people connect and be aware of each other. It made people care about the other person on the street.

So what has changed? I’ve heard the theory that the beginning of the “Me” generation began with the creation of the Walkman in the 80’s. Not sure if I buy into that theory, but I understand it. The Walkman allowed you to tune out everything – and everyone else – and listen to exactly what you wanted. It was your own universe and you ruled it.

Today we have cell phones… Kindles… and lots of other personal devices. All which allow us to retreat into our own world and ignore what goes on around us. Our phone call is most important. We need to take it and talk loudly while checking out at the grocery store. That game is important enough to play at dinner with the family. No need to look the waiter in the eye. He is there to serve me.

Maybe it’s just me, but I think it’s time we all stopped. Took a moment. Raised our eyes from our tablets and removed the earphones from our ears. Take a look around you. There are other people on this planet and they do matter. We’re all in this together… whether we agree with what someone does, says, or thinks.

So, just take a moment and CARE! Whether it’s taking the time to wear more than a hoodie and ponytail to your best friend’s 30th Birthday Party. Or waiting for the people in the car next to you to get out first. Just CARE.

Those things – as little as they may be sometimes – matter. So sweat the small stuff and pay attention to the people around you. I think you can agree with me that if you do – if we all do – the world would be a better place for it.

• Double wide strollers (the ones that are side-by-side and take up the whole aisle).
• Dropping the door on the person behind you.
• People who leave their car at the gas pump and go in to the station to order food.
• <<BLANK>> You fill in this one. I know you have one.