I think of
it when I’m tempted to leave my grocery cart in the grassy knoll in the parking
lot instead of walking a half -mile to the nearest cart holder. I think of it
when I change my mind about buying something at Target, and want to put my
unwanted beauty product on the shoe shelf in front of me. Who walks to the
other side of the store to put it back where it came from? Let’s face it; the trek from Beauty to Shoes
is a journey. But then a stereotypical image of a worn out cart boy or a tired
stock clerk pops into my mind. “Treat people how you want to be treated,”
bounces off the walls of my head as I try to ignore it. "Not now. I’m in a
hurry, Conscience. Come back later when I’m in a do-gooder mood." Ultimately, the conscience usually wins out and I pout my way to doing the right thing.
It’s not
exactly the cheerful giver attitude I’d be proud to have, but I’m a work in progress
like everyone else. Treating people how we would want to be treated, paying it
forward, and doing unto others as you would want them to do unto you is a
revolutionary idea. It takes a certain amount of removal of self to do it
though. Who wants to do that? Most days, not I.
Maybe that’s
the problem. Most of us, most days are
playing out that “not I” mentality even though we know from experience we always feel better if we decide to listen to that inner conscience. Could it be that the world would have less violent crimes, theft, abuse,
and even loneliness if we could all embrace the concepts of love, kindness, and
the value of treating others how we would want to be treated?
So many
blame guns for violence, media for laziness, poor laws for crime, and
government for the condition our society is in. What about us? Are we not to
blame? Imagine a freeway with less road rage, passive aggressive-less (I’m
aware that’s not even a word) arguments with loved ones, a hate-less society,
and a world where everyone looks out for their brother instead of constantly
looking over their shoulder. I realize
the reality of this is slim other than it playing out in a Disney movie on the
big screen. But maybe it could start in
our own home, our own city block, our own workplace, or even just at our local
grocery store. It only takes a spark to
get a fire going, and in the wake of a time of so many terrible things going
on, maybe a spark here and there could actually make a difference.
Call me
idealistic, (You wouldn’t be the first) but I have hope. Although we are all self-centered,
I do believe there is an innate sense of doing good and ability to love in us
all. After all, we were born with it, and it’s why we were created, to love and
be loved in return.
“To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable.
Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems
hopeless.” –
Gilbert K. Chesterton
