Be Nice

I have a confession to make. Sometimes I don’t like my behavior.

I was with a friend today at the car dealership picking up his tire. We parked and walked into the service desk area. There was no one at the desk. There was a window for parts and a window for payments, and no one was there either.

We waited a minute or so, and another man came in. He looked around, waited a moment and poked his head into the cashier window, and asked for help. Promptly, a man appeared in the parts window to help him. They started talking, and my friend joined in the conversation. They joked and laughed.

When the exchange was over, I said to my friend sarcastically, “I guess we can wait. We’ll just stay here and entertain everyone. Both staff people quickly apologized and customer service staff was helping us in seconds. Boy did I that pull me up short. My rudeness was showing.

Sarcasm is a form of humor that uses sharp, cutting remarks or language intended to mock, wound, or subject to contempt or ridicule. It comes from an ancient Greek word meaning, “to tear flesh.”(according to Wikipedia).

Southerners have not struck me as a sarcastic lot. They’ll charm the pants off you before they’d be rude or cutting. There is something to be learned in that common place courtesy. It was a mirror reflecting back my bad behavior.

Graciousness, service and courtesy can overcome rudeness and change a situation. I also learned from the man who asked for help that it is a lot nicer to just ask for what you need than to complain. I learned from my friend to simply “be” in the moment.

Most of us we taught in childhood to ask nicely for what we want. Sometimes, we need reminders of that, at least I do.