Signs of humanity still exist
Without hesitation, every car pulled over to the side of the road. These were the same cars that just a few seconds ago were speeding around each other and zigzagging just to get to their destination a little bit faster.
You have to understand that the general consensus from the people I have heard and talked to is that life is too busy and full of stuff to do. Because life is too busy, people often sacrifice their manners and overall pleasantness towards other people.
My grandma even agrees; she is always complaining about how rude today’s generation is and how much more polite people were in the good ole days. They also walked to school uphill both ways back then too.
Now in Georgia, it is the law that funeral processions have the right-of-way always, but I felt that since we were on the opposite side with two lanes and a turning median in between us that these obviously rushed people were not going to pull over; they were just too focused on their lives to care enough to yield.
Just when my epiphany of how people are not as uncaring as I thought had passed, I witnessed another amazing sight that I had not ever seen. As I was heading into Wal-Mart to shop away my problems, it started to downpour out of nowhere-as it tends to do in Georgia.
Unlucky for her, an elderly woman was getting out of her car right as the sky opened and judging by her facial expression she did not have anything to guard her from the weather. What happened next surprised me.
I saw a woman, who had finished shopping, taking her umbrella and escorting the elderly woman inside from the parking lot. Then they parted ways without any warm gestures or even a wave.
I was not surprised that the old woman stayed dry-I was shocked that a stranger went out of her way to keep this elderly woman dry. I like to consider myself a nice person, but I honestly cannot say that I would do this for a total stranger. No that does not mean I hate old people; I just am not sure I would make an effort and go out of my way for someone I do not know.
These two sights should not have had any affect on me at all, but over the course of my life I have come to know people in general to be rude and inconsiderate. There are exceptions to my massive generalization, but as much as it saddens me, I do honestly believe that most of humanity is not friendly, and frankly quite self-centered.
The drivers of the cars and the nice woman with an umbrella both enlightened and reminded me that people can in fact do good deeds and be polite to others, even strangers. If you have given up on humanity, just keep an eye out and pretty soon you will see something that will spark a flame of hope inside you, I promise.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Oct 17 2008. Filed under Opinion.
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