By Wilson Love
Most of the men and women writing for this magazine are pictured with big fish while explaining how they did it. I truly enjoy fishing, but these specialists have already forgotten more about fishing than I’m ever going to know. So bear with me; I’m taking a different trail.
Twenty odd years ago, I was driving in Buncombe County with a passenger beside me, a woman from Indiana. As we left the highway for a spin on the Blue Ridge Parkway, a man was walking down beside the entrance ramp toward us. When my truck drew near him, he raised one hand chest-high and lowered his head just slightly. I responded by lifting a hand partially off the steering wheel.
“Do you know that guy?” she asked.
“No… why?”
“Well, you just waved at each other.”
“Here in the South”, I quipped, “We have this thing called friendliness. You don’t have to actually know a person before you speak to him. If you lived here you would get used to it.”
In that same season of my life, I worked a lot in north Asheville and had occasion to visit the Post Office there. It was often busy with at least a short waiting line. One day a new sign graced the front of the counter…Remember, this was the nineties. In large letters the sign read, “Customers Using a Cell Phone Will Not be Served”. I saw customers test the new rule and, upon such testing, the clerk would briskly ignore them and bark out, “next!” I loved it, but eventually rude became the new normal.
Men used to say goodbye with the sign-off “work hard!” It was understood and accepted that diligence breeds success. This manner of encouragement was unceremoniously replaced by the loafer’s motto, “take it easy.”
What am I getting at here?
Things have changed (to put it mildly) and often not for the better. One of the ways things have changed is that everybody has a voice now. Think about it. Before people were walking around with their very own portable compact personal device, communication had plateaued. But now we can “share” with the whole wide world instantly. Ha! This is a laughable situation if you can keep your wits and a sense of humor about it.
FAKEBOOK: “Wilson, did you see Billy Bob’s comment on Sallie Mae’s photo?”
“No, FAKEBOOK, I didn’t. But now that you have prompted me, I’ll bring my business (and all other facets of my life) to a screeching halt so I can pay attention to whatever ol’ Billy Bob has to say at the moment.”
Have we become a culture of individuals only? I hope not because this will eventually result in a vacuum of civility. But look around; care seems to be escaping the atmosphere. You don’t think so? Look at people’s attitudes next time there’s a line at the boat ramp. Or just stand at a busy intersection and clock how long before the next “get out of my way” horn blows.
What to do? What to do?
Uh, start caring.
No, I’m not kidding. It’s just that simple. Blowing your horn won’t change the other person. Not blowing it could give you some peace. When you’re in the grocery checkout, turn around and see if someone looks worse than you feel. Give them your place in line.
Don’t touch your cell phone the next time it rings when you are face to face with a friend. That way, your friend will know that your conversation with him is more important to you – at the present time – than the constant distractions we all face.
Ah yes, I remember excellence. We can still go there. The road is paved with a quality of life that puts others first (Phil. 2: 3-4). That is the only way to reach the personal satisfaction we all desire. You’re invited to travel along.
Wilson Love is Owner/Operator of The Practical Outdoorsman, a retail and consignment store.
