by Kevin Schwendeman

Created on: September 04, 2008

The light is red. There I sit, first car in the left turn lane, waiting. I'm not on my phone. I'm not reading the newspaper. I'm not even checking my hair. I'm paying attention. See, I know this intersection. The timing of the lights is always the same. Watching the status of the light for the cross traffic change from the delightful green to the cautionary yellow I prepare to move forward, knowing an arrow is about to lead me on. There it is! I begin to accelerate...

HONK!

Apparently I am supposed to have Flash Gordonesque reflexes. This honking driver, being devoid of patience, is a perfect example of rudeness in today's society. It is a small but poignant testament to how people think. Me first, you later.

Each and every day we are flooded with information. The stimulation is incessant and can be overwhelming. Perceived or not, we are constantly told that bigger, faster, and shinier is better. The very devices designed to connect the world only serve to divide communities. The hyper-connectivity of today's technology has failed on a personal level. A virtual "poke" has replaced the firm handshake. Email has destroyed the art letter writing. Even text messages have rendered the phone call obsolete. The technological evolution has thrust the world into a tunnel. A tunnel that leads right past real people on the street to virtual people on the web.

The instant results and immediate gratification of an electronic era has led to one thing: impatience. When in contact with others, a person's need to have results here and now translates to rudeness. Or, at the very least, the perception of rudeness. The etiquette and anonymity of the cyber world has led to the inability to communicate effectively and politely on a personal level. A person's "page" can't load fast enough. Face to face communication is not streamlined enough leading to shortness, terseness and eventual rudeness. Impatience rearing its ugly head.

Just as a spider web catches a fly, the worldwide web has ensnared each of us. How can we break free? We are now dependant. We are addicts to indulgence and the fruit it bears is rudeness. However, I do believe that there is an intrinsic goodness that has only fallen dormant. It can be awakened. Each of us can take small steps to energize politeness every day. Do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly. These seeds, when nurtured, can grow to transform the face of society turning it from a glazed LCD stare to an alert, compassionate focus.

Turning into the right lane, I glanced over as the honker, cell phone to ear, surged passed me. The look of disgust on his face at my obvious ignorance of haste struck me as a bit humorous. Any number of gestures flashed through my brain. After all, when being attacked, basic instinct is retaliation. Siding with the better angels of my nature, I politely waved and smiled. As the disgust turned to confusion he hesitantly waved back, uncertain of the effects of human interaction. Then he was gone.

I don't think the world changed much that day, but a step was taken. If we take another, and then another, maybe, just maybe, we'll end up somewhere.

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