Decency Matters

When did decency stop mattering?  When did it become OK to treat others badly?  When did 'me, me, me' become the rallying cry?  

Decency stopped mattering when we chose to put ourselves first. Decency stopped mattering when we blatantly thought we were superior to someone else.  Decency stopped mattering when we chose to ignore it!

On my way to the office this morning the driver of a massive pickup truck urged me to move over!  She was obviously in a hurry. And to make her point, she attached her front bumper to the back of my car.  At least it felt that way...for almost 2 kilometers!  I need to point out that I was in the right lane of a two lane road already travelling above the posted speed limit.  Vehicles were ahead of me in both lanes.  My 'pull over' options were severely limited unless I jumped the curb!  High up in her jacked up pickup, she could clearly see the vehicles ahead over my much lower car.  Never mind, I was holding her up and she wanted to make sure I knew.  Decency died at 7:05 am.

Lined up 6 feet apart to checkout at the grocery store last Saturday, a man jumped the queue right in front of me because I was a second too long to advance in the line.  I held my tongue.  Even though I wanted to call him out!  Decency died at 11:35 am.

Decency dies every time we forget that we live in an interconnected society and forget that every individual action affects someone else...and in most cases, many other people.  I live in a condo apartment building and every time a person chooses not to wear a facemask inside, decency dies.

I'd like to bring decency back from the dead.  My plan is simply to be even more decent to everyone I meet and deal with.  My theory is that if  I'm decent to you, perhaps you will pay it forward.  I know it's not much and some days it feels like a loosing battle.  Those days are especially tough...I feel it's pointless.  But I'm a preserving guy and as long as I have a choice, I'll choose to be decent.

Until next time...

Chris Morales