I’ve heard so many stories from some of my family members over the past few weeks that I finally have the need to vent or rant or whatever you want to call it. Of course, the people that need to hear this won’t, or they won’t believe it’s about them. Or they will say, “But YOU don’t understand. MY case is different.”
I guess I can sum it up by saying:
“What makes you think you’re entitled to different or better treatment than anyone else?”
I can hear it now, “The pandemic has been really hard for me!” You don’t think it’s been hard on everyone?
For those that don’t know, my wife Priscilla is a paramedic; I have one daughter who is a service manager at a bank; one daughter who is the head athletic trainer at a high school and one son who is in retail. The athletic trainer is new to her job so she’s just adjusting to sports with Covid. The son in retail says people just seem moody and sick of wearing masks.The other son is the one in the Navy. They give you an order and you do it. Feel entitled? You’re entitled to scrub the bathroom floor! With a toothbrush!
The Paramedic
To begin with, paramedics see people on their worst day, but from what I understand it’s getting even more frustrating. Patients, or in most cases patients families, are getting worse and worse to deal with. It seems that there is more and more of a case of entitlement.
Family member:“MY (loved one) deserves the best.”
Medic: “Yes they do. That’s what we do for all of our patients.”
Fam: “No. Better than that. Who’s your boss? Let me speak to them.”
The Bank
Sarah has a story a day from the bank it seems. One day a lady pulled into the drive-up lane. They try to greet everyone with something like, “Welcome to (bank). We’ll be happy to help you today. Right now you’re third in line.” To which the lady replied, “No that won’t work for me. I want to be first.” Excuse me? The banker said, “I’m sorry ma’am but you’re currently third in line.” Again, “Well I want to be first.”
Mind if I vent?
I get it — You’re stressed and you’re tired of Covid; we all are. However, you have to remember the old saying, “We’re all in this together,” because we are. Do you think the bankers or retailers LIKE all of these new rules or regulations that they have to follow? No. But they do it — everyday —- maybe not with a smile on their face though. It’s kinda hard to tell with the mask on.
Speaking of masks —- you say you hate wearing that thing into the bank or store? Try wearing it for eight hours a day. Sarah told me that ripping that thing off after a full day she feels like a surgeon taking off his surgical gown after a difficult operation. “There!” (Rips it off her face) “We saved another one!”
Take a breath
How do YOU want to be treated? Doesn’t everyone deserve the same respect? We don’t know what’s going on in another person’s life so why give them more problems? Here’s a little tip for you: Not everyone is out to get you. Most people are just trying to get through this thing just as you are.
Conclusion
I will end on a positive note. Sarah, Liam and I made the trip up to Massachusetts to see Grammy and the aunts and uncles. About 9 or 10 hours into the trip we made a rest stop in Connecticut. Sarah always parks near the back so I can stretch my legs with a walk into the building. I was telling my wife this story and I said, “Sarah, how would you describe how I walked by that time of the day?” She said, “You looked old dad. That’s just the way it was.”
The real point of my story is that a young man, maybe 14 or 15, saw me walking with my cane and ran ahead to hold the first door, then went ahead and held the second door. I thanked him and then went on my way. As I came out, that same young man was just walking back after buying a drink in the Food Court. He looked at me and said, “Are you going back out?” When I told him I was, he went right ahead and held the inner door, then the outer door.
There’s hope.
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