Courtesy is Contagious

It's great to get one's nose outside the house after a whole morning and half an afternoon spent preparing for another mass Thanksgiving -- up to 25 people! Everyone was supposed to have told us whether they were coming by yesterday morning, but of course, four have managed not to report in yet. The art of the RSVP is all but lost. I had to call pretty much everyone on the guest list to double-check as to whether they were attending and what they were bringing. Even five years ago, not that much was expected of the hosts!

I suppose that leads me to a not so small gripe of mine. One of my favorite bumper stickers says "Courtesy is Contagious," and what seems to be in very short supply in contemporary society is basic consideration for others. Like letting the hosts of a potluck party know if you're going to be there and what you'll bring. Or using your turn signals when you're driving a car to warn the people behind you that you intend to change lanes or make a turn. Something that's particularly neglected in our fair city. Never before have I lived in a place where people were quite as likely to cut across two or more lanes of traffic without the slightest whiff of warning. It's as if drivers are in a trance, convinced they're actually in a world of their own. It's so ubiquitous around here that I had a proprietary bumper sticker made up that says "I Can't Read Minds -- Use Your Turn Signals!"

You know you're really suffering from withdrawal symptoms about responsible citizenhood when you get sentimental about a series of TV commercials. I'm talking about the Liberty Mutual insurance company commercials which show a chain of small actions taken by individuals to look out for their fellow human beings. I feel like investigating Liberty Mutual to see if they can take over some of our insurance, just to reward them for putting these positive examples out there. If we all took the trouble to be more aware of our surroundings, the people around us and our immediate environment, the world could be a much less stressful and stressed place in a very short time.

Taking responsibility. It's a key ingredient of the Pagan creed. Not that I'm always perfect at it either, but I am aware that it's a requirement. It harks back to "Harm none." You have to try to be aware enough to avoid doing any avoidable, active harm. It means you have to live awake, and be cognizant of your impact, and what you can do to make life easier and more pleasant for everyone (without bending yourself into a pretzel or being masochistic, mind you!).

And what you put out there comes back to you, usually in multiples. So it's best to do good!