Common courtesy doesn’t have to die

I drive 42 miles every morning and 42 miles every evening.  What I can’t understand is why I can’t make it to work or home each day without someone pulling out in front of me or cutting me off.  I do tend to have just a touch of road rage, but I really think the road rage is a result of the bad driving on the roads these days instead of a direct reflection of my temperament.  Those that know me well might be inclined to disagree.

I think it has a lot to do with common courtesy.  I just don’t see as much common courtesy as I used to.  The driver pulls out in front of you, they know you have enough time to slow down, and they do not care if they inconvenience you because they assume that wherever they are going is more important than where you are going.  I see a lot of people not using a blinker; it is just courteous (and the law) to let people know where you are planning on going while on the roadways.

Nowadays, when you are standing in a checkout line with a couple of items and someone with a full buggy lets you in front of them, they need to be commended.  Not only because it was such an unselfish act, but also because it is so rare for someone to do such an unselfish act. I’m not saying that I’m an innocent party here at all, but I think it would make a huge difference if we just put ourselves in someone else’s shoes from time to time and do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Be a hero. Hold the door when you really didn’t have to, let someone get in front of you in the checkout line, pick up something someone dropped.  Really surprise a perfect stranger and give them a smile or share something funny.  It might make all the difference to someone having a bad day. And for goodness sake, use your blinker!