Entitled to Thank You
I learned that this world is a whole lot different than my parent’s world. I’m not just talking about technology. Most advances—well, maybe not the ever-present cell phone stuck to everyone’s ear—have made life a whole lot easier. I’m talking about the “entitled” attitude that has affected so many people. This “I-can-do-anything-I-want” attitude is so pervasive that it is destroying basic civility. “Thank you” is fast becoming a lost phrase.
I often hold open doors for people young and old. Hardly ever is there an acknowledgement of my kind action. The feeling I get from these insensitive people is that they “expect” doors to be opened for them. These are the very same masses who rush through doors ahead of me with nary a care for my or anyone else’s well-being. These members of civilization—Opps! “Civilization” is the wrong category for this group!—worry only about themselves and could care less about their fellow man or woman. (That is, unless some fellow man or woman can give them what they want and what they feel they are entitled to.)
Doorways aren’t the only locations where entitled people show their true colors. The highways and byways are filled with self-ordained privileged people. They cut you off because they want your lane; they ride on your tail so you’ll speed up (even though you’re going five miles over the speed limit); they toot their horns to move you out of the way, and they swerve in and out of traffic so they can arrive at their destinations a few minutes earlier. Although their driving actions cause near accidents, they just don’t care. They want what they want when they want it.
Some of these entitled individuals masquerade as friends. Their desires are the only ones that are important. Plans can only be made based on their schedules. Restaurant and entertainment choices are theirs’ alone. They call only when they want to talk and talk only about what they want to talk about. These “friends” care not about you or your concerns. Everything is all about them.
Unfortunately, there are unending examples of dealing with the hordes of entitled people. These days these people are everywhere. And I’ve learned the hard way that if I let them and their actions upset me, I am the one who pays the price for their insensitivity. I concentrate instead on the many moments of kindness offered me by family, friends and strangers…people who know that the only thing that they are entitled to is the opportunity to make life better for others. Also, I have learned to banish entitled people from my life. (Family members can’t readily be eliminated, but limiting time with “entitled” family members is doable.)
A “thank you” is so very nice to hear and, luckily, there are many good people out there who know and use these two words often. I’m entitled to “thank you’s” and so are you. The entitled, unfortunately, will never go away, but do like I do. Spread kindness to all you meet. Then, like me, you’ll discover that life is pretty much pretty good. It works. And “thank you” for reading this!