I was out of town this weekend, and on my way home we stopped at a McDonalds. I had already ordered and was standing close to the register waiting on my food. The cashier was a young boy who looked about 16 years old. He was working hard and doing his best in the lunch crowd chaos. Another woman had been called up to retrieve her food. As she got her food, she made a biting comment to the young boy. I do not know what she said, but her tone of voice made me jerk around to see what was going on. The boy handed her the food and she asked if he had included a napkin. He had not. She made another comment and he went to grab the napkin for her. She then turned to the woman next in line to order and said, “What kind of retard forgets to put in a napkin with your meal!” The boy handed her the napkins and she commented, “You are awful.” She then proceeded to walk away, appearing to be quite proud of herself. The cashier seemed completely unfazed by her outburst and never even flinched. The woman ordering then said, “Honey, don’t worry, you can’t please everyone.”
Two thoughts went through my mind at that moment. The first was mean people suck. The second was the reaction of the young boy. Was his complete void of any reaction to her ugliness a sign that he had to put up with that kind of behavior quite often so he is just numb to it? If so, how sad.
Before I continue, let me say what some of you are thinking. I know there is much good in our world…much more good than bad on most days. I know the examples of kindness, thoughtfulness and compassion are in abundance, but today I’m just sick of the meanness.
I posted this quote from Buddha recently on my LimitlessLessons Facebook page...
Two thoughts went through my mind at that moment. The first was mean people suck. The second was the reaction of the young boy. Was his complete void of any reaction to her ugliness a sign that he had to put up with that kind of behavior quite often so he is just numb to it? If so, how sad.
Before I continue, let me say what some of you are thinking. I know there is much good in our world…much more good than bad on most days. I know the examples of kindness, thoughtfulness and compassion are in abundance, but today I’m just sick of the meanness.
I posted this quote from Buddha recently on my LimitlessLessons Facebook page...
Life is so very difficult. It's difficult for all of us, but especially for young people. They may not be trying to figure out how to make a house payment or raising kids or managing a home, but they are doing something so much more important...they are developing their identities. They are growing their self esteem. They are figuring out their place in this world. They are deciding if they are good enough for their dreams. They are trying to figure out if this is a nice world or a mean world and they are looking to us adults for guidance. They are watching what we do. They are paying attention to how we treat people and how we handle adversity. They are looking to us to build them up and teach them how to handle mistakes...like not putting a napkin in a stupid bag of food.
I've been watching a lot of meanness go on among young people in our social media world and it breaks my heart. Sadly, the meanness of adults on social media and even in the real world is even worse. I'm appalled. When did we become a society where no one is allowed to have a differing opinion...where political and religious preferences are more important than life-long friendships..where because we are behind a computer, we feel we have the right to say anything we wish, no matter how cruel or untrue.
I was reading an article recently about Kim Kardashian (she stars in a reality show) and the pressure she is feeling from the media and public regarding all her pregnancy weight. What I found most interesting, was not the article itself, but the comments the public wrote at the end. The cruelty, nastiness, and malice for which some people wrote about her and her weight was something I have never seen. Most of you are saying who cares about Kim Kardashian or maybe you don't even know who she is. Or you are saying she thrives on all the attention, positive or negative, because that's her only claim to fame. You are saying she signed up for this by being on a reality show and being a celebrity...you have to take the good with the bad.
You know what I say...
No human being deserves to be treated with that kind of contempt...NO ONE.
I chose this example on purpose because, although most of us really don't know her or care about her pregnancy weight, our young people do. They are reading this and not only seeing how cruel people can be, but young girls are taking in some potentially harmful ideas about pregnancy, gaining weight and the world's judgment of anyone who struggles with their weight or does not have the ideal size 2 body. But, even worse are the articles I have read on politics, religion, or even sports! The callousness of how we treat people who do not share our same beliefs or meet our expectations or even make a mistake is something some of us should take a harder look at.
I'm not perfect and I have certainly had mean moments in my life, but I hope to never be that woman in McDonalds. To her I say...was the napkin really as important as a young boy's self respect? Shame on you.
I've been watching a lot of meanness go on among young people in our social media world and it breaks my heart. Sadly, the meanness of adults on social media and even in the real world is even worse. I'm appalled. When did we become a society where no one is allowed to have a differing opinion...where political and religious preferences are more important than life-long friendships..where because we are behind a computer, we feel we have the right to say anything we wish, no matter how cruel or untrue.
I was reading an article recently about Kim Kardashian (she stars in a reality show) and the pressure she is feeling from the media and public regarding all her pregnancy weight. What I found most interesting, was not the article itself, but the comments the public wrote at the end. The cruelty, nastiness, and malice for which some people wrote about her and her weight was something I have never seen. Most of you are saying who cares about Kim Kardashian or maybe you don't even know who she is. Or you are saying she thrives on all the attention, positive or negative, because that's her only claim to fame. You are saying she signed up for this by being on a reality show and being a celebrity...you have to take the good with the bad.
You know what I say...
No human being deserves to be treated with that kind of contempt...NO ONE.
I chose this example on purpose because, although most of us really don't know her or care about her pregnancy weight, our young people do. They are reading this and not only seeing how cruel people can be, but young girls are taking in some potentially harmful ideas about pregnancy, gaining weight and the world's judgment of anyone who struggles with their weight or does not have the ideal size 2 body. But, even worse are the articles I have read on politics, religion, or even sports! The callousness of how we treat people who do not share our same beliefs or meet our expectations or even make a mistake is something some of us should take a harder look at.
I'm not perfect and I have certainly had mean moments in my life, but I hope to never be that woman in McDonalds. To her I say...was the napkin really as important as a young boy's self respect? Shame on you.
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