#civillization

8/10

In the past week at my store, I've had an old man walk around with his penis out, I've had a father stand idly by while his toddler son urinated in the center walkway, and I've dealt with it. I get it. But I've also had a person so empty that they decided to belittle a teenage cashier to tears for no reason.

And I don't get that. I really don't.

Every time I see a miserable employee at a store, or a waitress barely holding in tears, I try to do or say something that'll make them remember that the world doesn't wish they were dead. Even the smallest thing-- a dumb joke, a smile, a secret handshake-- can remind that one person that the world isn't completely filled with others who just wish they were dead. I live for it. I absolutely love being able to make someone sad start to chuckle, or someone stressed take a deep breath. It seems like such an obvious, simple thing to do. It's the coda of humanity and what separates us from animals. That and porn. And it just absolutely breaks my heart every time I see someone ignore that coda, become completely selfish, just to crush someone else. It doesn't make sense. What good comes from it? I don't even buy that they feel good about themselves-- how could they? Stop complaining about the world and just, please, for a moment, do something-- anything-- to fix it. I swear to God you'll feel better.

And every time you want to complain about someone else, try to consider what their day is like. Yeah, maybe they just don't care. Or maybe they just got absolutely crushed by the person before you because they misunderstood how the coffee was supposed to be served. Maybe they did it because they're dumb, or maybe they did it because they're scared to death of losing the insurance that's covering their kid's inhaler. I don't know. You don't either.

But the entire point is- what does it matter? It isn't about them. It's about you.

Every single day you are given the opportunity make a positive impact on someones life. Whether it's a stranger, a friend, someone you work with... anyone. Every time you step out the front door you get that opportunity to be great. To rise above petty differences and raise up the downtrodden. What could be greater than that?

And what does it say about people who have that opportunity and don't take it? What's that say about you? I mean, yeah. You're mad. You're tired. You're frustrated. But at this very moment you have the opportunity to take something wholly negative and find something positive in it. You have the opportunity to make another person's life improve, even for a slight moment.

What could be better, or more romantic, or more pure?