Some petty asshole in a sports car arrived at a stop light a couple of minutes after me, pulling into the lane next to me. Both lanes were turning into an on-ramp to the interstate, with a merging lane (two lanes become one in a very short distance). Had I been the one who arrived second to the stop light, I would have yielded right-of-way to the other driver. It’s the rules of the road and the right thing to do.
He did not yield. Instead, he sped up to pass me but not before cackling–gloating and laughing–at me. No one even told me we were in a race but he acted as though he had taken home the grand prize. He wasn’t just rude–he was damn proud of himself.
Besides the fact that it was caustic–not to mention unstable–behavior, it got me thinking about what would possess a person to act this way. Some people would say it’s his parents fault. He was “never taught to wait his turn” or something akin to that. I’m no longer inclined to blame parents for everything. Children turn into adults and they make their own choices which may or may not reflect the values which they were taught.
This particular example was a trivial event but it did give me pause. Me? I would have the decency to at least feel guilty if I had been disrespectful to someone. I would not consider myself a winner because I was able to hurt someone in any way. The Golden Rule is still relevant, at least in my world. The carnal, decidedly human side of me, wanted to pummel him. The side of me that is fed up of being bullied and pushed around wanted to say “I give up being nice! I’m going to be ‘first’ from now on!” Well. That did not sit right with me.
The more thoughtful side of me who employs critical thinking skills realized that this small act of unkindness is the very thing that is wrong with this country and the world. If everyone lives with this egocentric, puerile behavior, we–as a societal whole–will eventually implode. The only hope we have is for more people to move aside and allow others to pass. Will you get pushed around? Possibly. Being humble and kind means not always being first, putting aside ego, and losing often. What is the alternative? Being rude is easy.
As for me, I will continue to yield. What will you do?
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