We Can Do Better

That's right. We can, and we must, do better.

An unmasked woman on an airplane recently was arrested for assaulting another passenger who had removed his mask because he was eating. Flight attendants are attacked on a regular basis after reminding passengers to put their masks on -- a federal regulation. Road rage incidents seem to be on the increase. Tempers are short everywhere. Car thefts, homicides and burglaries are out of control in the big city nearest to where I live. I now keep all doors to my house locked even when I'm home. If I park my car in the driveway for a few minutes because I will be leaving soon on an errand, I make sure it is locked. My car is otherwise secured in my garage.

I get it. We are all sick of this pandemic, which just entered its third year. Fortunately, we are now moving beyond the pandemic and are seeing an easing of many of the previous restrictions. Staffing shortages, from nurses to restaurant servers to truck drivers and pharmacy technicians, plague the nation. The list of items not available or in short supply, from food items to Christmas trees to clothing, continues to grow. Prices of nearly everything are through the roof. Disputes are settled with guns, just as they were in the Wild West. Throw in worry about the plight of the refugees and those still living in Ukraine as Russia attacks civilian targets, and stress can be through the roof.

Many of us are emotionally drained. But that is not an excuse for our lack of civility. I know that I have a short temper and I can have a sharp tongue. But those are things I can control, even if it often isn't easy.

I am out of patience and compassion for the willfully ignorant who kept the pandemic alive. I have no patience for parents who put their children's lives at risk by refusing to have them vaccinated. As parents, we should protect our children, not put them at risk.

I am making a real effort to be nice to people. I now chat with the grocery store cashier. I asked the guy at the UPS store if he had a good holiday. I wish people a good weekend. I take time to chat with neighbors I encounter while walking my dogs. I leave larger-than-usual tips for servers and hair stylists. And yes, sometimes I fail at being nice.

These are little things that take no effort and very little time. I am an introvert, so small talk doesn't come easily to me. But it really isn't hard. 

We are a nation of individuals, but we also are part of a greater society. We sink or swim together. We are meant to live together and to care about each other. Now too many people are out only for themselves. Murders, road rage, thefts, burglaries -- all have greatly increased. 

We must do better at caring about others.