A couple of days ago I brought up the issue of the Greater Good. I took careful steps to show that this was not intended as a spiritual issue, nor as something that the peace-loving fundamentalist terrorist embrace with martyrdom, but it is merely the act of being nice to people for a change. Douglas Adams, in a not so veiled reference to the crucifixion, noted that Christ was nailed to a tree for going around and telling people how great it would be to be nice to each other for a change.
Well, I've got a couple of new examples for you.
Go into your local Kroger, I was in one tonight, purchasing groceries. When you enter the checkout lanes, there is a space just beyond them for departing customers to walk back to the front door. This space is about ten to twelve feet wide, plenty of room to pass through, so long as your path remains unobstructed. Well, tonight as I'm leaving this lady in the lane closest to the door proceeds to push her shopping cart right into the path ov everyone walking out. I stop momentarily, waiting for her to pull back her cart and allow people to walk by. Instead she leaves her cart in the way, grabs her bags out of it, and walks off. The Greater Good, needless to say, was not happy. How much trouble is it to pull your cart back, or even take it the extra 20 feet across the entrance and put it back with the other carts? But no, causing a disruption for the sake of your own benefit, and by benefit I mean getting out of Kroger before the three of us that were walking toward her, is much more important.
Another issue happened in class yesterday. I have a 45 mile drive to school everyday, just because I love going. I drive through Gainesville. After Gainesville I have a few backroads before I reach the college. I got stuck behind a couple of inmate work crews on my way. My first class starts at 9:35am. The teacher like to start at 9:30am. I walk in at 9:37am, two minutes, people. The teacher stops what she is saying and proceeds to dress me down in front of the entire class, saying that entering class late is a distraction and I should try to be on time. Which reminds me, I need to call the Georgia Dept. of Corrections and find out their inmate work schedules. So I take my seat, trying to let it go, but then two girls walk in ten full minutes late. Does the teacher say anything to them? Nope. Aparently they were not a distraction. Once again, the Greater Good is shaking its head.
Jeez, that made me mad. I'm gonna let my new hire Sanjay take this next one, Sanjay...
You are not more important than me. Let me say that to start things off. I know, I should say that I'm glad to be here at The Right Wing, but the fact is my position and responsibility do not make me anything more or less than anyone else. You're responsibility is merely that, responsibility. We all have it, to whomever we give it to, it is not a badge of honor, it is a badge of humanity. That being said, I want to tell the driver of the Ford Focus to slow the heck down. Like Robert said, the passing lane is there for a reason. If you are back behind a pack of cars, like ten of more deep, then forget it. You're not more important, or in a bigger hurry, you're just more selfish and self-absorbed. Get over your whiny teenage angst music, get past the fact that your eighth-grade girlfriend is the easiest go in five counties, get over the notion that life revolves around you. The greater Good would be much happier.
Blake...
Thanks, Sanjay. Ladies and Gentlemen, Sanjay, my tech support and call screener.
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