Don't eat the yellow snow
Have you noticed it or am I alone? In the past few months, it seems to me that I am noticing a disturbing trend—the loss of common sense. How many times do we have to be reminded of things before we are considered just plain ignorant?
Two weeks ago, I was sitting in the parking lot of a large superstore. One that I don't like shopping in, but due to the lack of other department stores in the area, I have been left with few other options. However, as I sat in my groovy VW Beetle, the person who parked next to me arrived with her overflowing cart. Since I was opening my door when she pushed her wire-wheeled basket next to me, I closed my door so it didn't hit me. I guess I'll wait for her to unload. We made brief eye contact and I nodded for her to finish unloading her sea of environment-killing plastic bags for what seemed like an hour (she took her time - her good ol' sweet time). Obviously, she didn't feel the need to rush, even though I was waiting.
I thought about backing out and getting another spot, but then, I can wait. After all, I've got patience. Or maybe it's like I need to acquire it! And I couldn't move my car anyway since my neighboring parking "friend's" young child was roaming around behind my car. I think I was more worried about his safety than she was. So I waited, keeping one eye on the little boy and the other on the slow poke beside me.
Finally, I hear the rusted Chevy's door close. Great, I thought. Now I can get on with my shopping and get home. It was, after all, a rare day. I wasn't shopping with my son. I was alone. So I wanted to get home, but there was a problem.
The rumble of the Chevy being fired up seemed to rock my Beetle and the exhaust filled the air. However, that was the least of my worries.
The cart. Yes, the empty cart was left exactly where it was when it was being unloaded—right next to my car door. Wonderful, I thought. I'm sitting in a VW with bucket seats and this cart is literally less than two inches from my door. If I backed up, my mirror was going to get slammed by the cart. I couldn't pull forward since another vehicle was parked there. "You've got to be kidding," I shouted, as if anyone was going to hear me in my car. Is this what I get for being considerate and letting the lady with a child unload her groceries on a cold day? Should I have made her wait while I got out of my VW? No, I did the right thing. Yeah, sure, I did. But now what do I do?
Well, I did the only thing I could. I put the key back into the ignition, turned on the car and put the window down. Through the blowing, near zero wind, I stretched my arm out and gently pushed the cart away from my VW. I moved it just far enough so I could open my door. I put my window back up and turned off my car.
As I got out and closed the door, I looked at the adjacent truck, noticing a man sitting inside, watching me. Just as I was about to gesture at him, I paused and smiled. He, of course, grinned back at me. It's a good thing he didn't get out of his truck to assist me in my dilemma. I'm sure he enjoyed the show.
As I shopped, my theory of society's increased ignorance was further substantiated as shoppers stopped in the middle of the aisle to chat and after repeated attempts at asking them to move, (how many times must I say excuse me?) had no courtesy whatsoever when walking in front of others.
After I left that store and went to the mall, I observed more strange behavior. The weirdness didn't end there. I've seen it everywhere. It's on the news at night. People doing moronic things and then wanting bailed out, whether it is through monetary means or wanting the legislature to create a new law to instruct the public what to do and what not to do.
I find myself wondering what happened to just being accountable for oneself and your own actions and also having the common sense to function in daily life? With all this snow around and more in the forecast, I feel obligated to warn you, "Don't eat the yellow snow." But I hope that you already know that. Don't you?