The other day I was browsing through my favorite bookstore looking through the bargain books when I came across an old favorite, Alice in Wonderland, and it was an edition I did not have! As I was perusing the book, I heard someone's voice getting louder and louder until almost shouting. I cringed when I realized it was a customer angry with an employee as I have worked in a retail bookstore in a former job-life.
The customer wanted a specific book and had traveled across town to pick up the book and it was not on the shelves. Now I can understand the customer's annoyance but this customer had not called ahead of time and reserved the book. Instead this customer just assumed the bookstore would have the particular book on hand just for her.
It struck me as sad that many of us have come to just assume that whatever we want will just be there for us. I guess since the internet provides almost instantaneous gratification, this assumption naturally happened over time. When we want information or an item, we can just find it online with just a few clicks. A few more clicks and my favorite online company can ship it to me with free shipping in just 2 days! That is instant gratification. Now we expect everyone to do the same, even this poor employee who did not know this irate customer needed a particular book. I know that if the customer had just called the bookstore, they would have pleasantly told her that they did not have the book on hand but could order it for her and it would arrive in a day or so. But I also know that this particular local bookstore would have even called around to the competition to see if they had the book and let the customer know where they could get the book immediately at another store! Yes, this local bookstore will do that because they are customer-focused.
So this little episode of the irate and annoying customer reminds me of my list of things that I really bother me that people do to each other. By the way, this list is not in any particular order...these items are really all equivalent in what we should not do to others.
1) Interrupting. Why is it that we cannot wait until someone is done talking to give our 2-cents worth? We teach children not to interrupt but what is it that makes adults think they can get away with it?
2) Stop one-upping each other. No one likes to tell a story and have the listener give a comparison or a story that the listener thinks is better.
3) Entitlement. When did we get to the point that we should be entitled to everything and anything. What happened to working hard and enjoying the work to get there?
4) Queuing impatiently. If there is a line, you can bet people are sighing and getting annoyed about having to wait. Why? I want the employee that is waiting on people to treat me respectfully so shouldn't I be respectful in return?
5) Gossiping = Rumor Mill. I admit there is a fine line between telling someone about someone else just in conversation and then it becomes gossip. The line in the sand is asking yourself "why am I telling this person about the other person, Is it to share a concern or a nasty tidbit?
So why do we do these things to each other? We teach our children not to interrupt or boast or gossip, yet many of us as we grow older revert to these bad habits.
As a teacher, there are a few things I want to have my students remember about me...a kind of legacy that I want to leave behind.....I would love it if my students remembered me for the great, exciting things that they learned or that I always encouraged them to "try it, make mistakes, and try again - that's the only way to learn!" But really, I would like to be remembered as the teacher who is patient and does not interrupt or one-up their stories. A teacher that doesn't act like I deserve their respect and confidence unless I have earned it. That's what I want to be remember for.... and just maybe when my students are adults they will want to be remembered for the same things too. Just maybe....
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