Thursday, April 21, 2011

Unsure of Whether It’s Me or Them

One thing is certain, when I’m tired, worn and in need of ME time the little things will make a HUGE difference. Of late, I’ve noticed that it’s the little things that have served to light my already short wick. So here are a few of my recent pet peeves…chime in on whether you believe it’s me or them.

• If you work in the service industry – whether it is retail or food service – polite and appropriate customer service is a job requirement. Notice I didn’t say you should be warm and friendly; simply polite and appropriate. This means that when you are standing behind a counter serving customers and I am the only customer standing in front of you AND I speak to you, you are required to respond – not stare blankly into space. Is it me or them?
• If your job description includes insuring that the morning coffee is brewed and available for purchase, you should NOT be texting at the cash register (with not a care in the world) while ALL coffee dispensers sit empty. Is it me or them?
• If you wish to drive at 20-30mph under the posted speed limit, you should avoid the left lane. Moreover, you should not appear panicked and disheveled when folks show their irritability with your traffic-causing ignorance. Is it me or them?
• I’m a primarily text person – I prefer to only speak to my mom and sister on the telephone – why will people dial my number, leave no message and repeat the call several times a day? It is my personal mobile phone; you can say or text anything and trust that I am the sole recipient of your message(s). Is it me or them?
• If you are using a mobile telephone at the gym during your workout you are NOT working out hard enough. Stop complaining that you aren’t showing results. HARD AND FAST RULE: If you can carry a conversation, you’re not working out hard enough to make a difference. Stay your FAT ass home and snack on Breyers while chatting. Is it me or them?
• Weekends are my sacred 48 hours. They are my time for rest and recreation. Doing anything that requires work or driving on long jaunts is not appealing to me and likely to be met with a resounding, “No thanks.” Is it me or them?

Hey folks…the list can go on and on. The truth is that we may sometimes draw the negative to ourselves. Maybe my feeling tired and worn is contributing to my seeing these little things magnified lately. Until I’m sure, I’ll keep asking myself if it’s me or them.

Keep passin’ the open windows…

3 comments:

Shannon Lee said...

No boo...it's NOT just you. I feel the same way on ALL counts...particularly the first and last points. It's definitely THEM!!! Thanks for making me laugh out loud so early in the morning. Love you!!! lol

bobbymo51 said...

It's the generation(s) happy with technology taking 1st priority - no matter what.
It has resulted in the fact that is assumed that those of us who are actually paying attention are being expected to take care of and make allowances for those engaged in texting or otherwise lost in their iPhones.
It doesn't matter that you are a customer or that there is work to be done: technology comes first.
And you are being treated just like a LED screen: you will be there WHENEVER the person chooses to "get back to you."
This also has resulted in a general cluelessness about and unawareness of one's surroundings, or of any idea of how to act in public space, except for a global ineptitude and a fear of looking foolish.
On the CTA trains here in Chicago, even on cars with plenty of empty seats, there are always 2, 3, 4 or more people standing directly in front of the doors for 5 or 6 stops or more in a row, oblivious to the fact that they are lengthening the travel time by blocking people from both getting on and getting off the train.
It seems obvious to me that it is impossible to make workable choices unless you are paying attention, but the contagion of cluelessness is definitely spreading.

Tim said...

Hey kiddo,
Unfortunately society has de-evolved into a selfish mentality, where the vast majority of people think "it's all about them".

In other words, it's NOT just you, my friend!