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Love is Polite
Once upon a time, The Dingo was walking down the street. He was enjoying the beautiful weather, stopping to smell the flowers, and reflecting on all that was good in the world when all of a sudden he got bumped off the sidewalk by a kid riding his bike. He didn’t hear the young rider say “Excuse me,” as he approached nor did he hear an “I’m sorry,” after he was obviously bumped. The Dingo was very shaken up and surprised at the lack of manners he just experienced. Not only could he have gotten very physically hurt from this encounter, but it seemed the young man could of cared less about the repercussions of his actions. He wanted to angrily yell at him, but decided to simply call out “Be careful!” hoping the young guy would heed his warning not only for someone else’s safety but also for his own. After The Dingo regained his composure, he brushed off the encounter and continued on his day.
He proceeded to the corner store to get a refreshing juice drink. As he walked in, he greeted the clerk behind the counter, “Hello, sir.” The clerk barely looked up from his magazine to even acknowledge The Dingo’s presence. He shrugged it off and headed to the refrigerated section for his favorite fruit drink but couldn’t find it. He decided to request some assistance from the clerk: “Excuse me, I don’t see my usual mango juice on the shelf, are you sold out or is there more in the back?” The clerk was very obviously annoyed and snapped back at The Dingo, “If you don’t see it, we don’t have it!” He was surprised at the lack of manners from the clerk, it made him feel unwelcome and like he was being a bother. The Dingo decided once again to brush off the encounter and politely responded with a smile, “Thank you for your time,” and continued on his day.
As The Dingo made his way back home, he realized how easy it was to forget our basic manners when going through our day. When we get so absorbed in our own world, whether it’s riding a bike or reading a magazine, we have to make it a purpose to always think of others around us and how our interactions make them feel. Today, it seemed like the world forgot how to be polite.
In his usual fashion, The Dingo decided to look up the word “polite” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary and this is what he found:
- having or showing good manners or respect for other people
- socially correct or proper
Being polite, is about respect and when you choose to respect the people around you then you purpose yourself to respect everything about them. This includes respecting their personal space, their feelings, and even respecting their differences.
It’s important to choose to be polite to others, but it’s equally as important to remind ourselves that we have a choice to be polite even in unlikely circumstances. The Dingo chose not to yell out in anger at the young bicyclist after he was bumped off the sidewalk and he chose not to be as equally rude to the clerk in the store. He chose to rise above. After all, sometimes people have bad days, and all it takes is a warm smile and respectful encounter from someone else to help brighten a rather gloomy day.
Yvonne C. Lozano 