At gym recently, I accidentally stepped on to a moving treadmill and took a huge fall. I grazed my hands, my knees and my shoulder. I have no recollection of how it happened because I fell so quickly (I hope there’s no YouTube video out there). The sad thing is that when it happened, no one came to help me. In fact, people even walked past as though I was invisible. Have we really become so detached from one another that we can’t be bothered to help one another? Are people so concerned about minding their own business that they choose to ignore someone who may need help? Odd.
I was driving to work the other day and the newspaper seller was opening a sucker. As he popped it into his mouth, he threw the wrapper on the floor. I stopped, opened my window and asked him to pick it up. He laughed in my face and walked away. It put me in such a bad mood all day long. Do people not care?
People you see at the office every single day who pack up their bags at the end of the day and walk out without saying goodbye. I was in the lifts and started chatting to a colleague recently. When the lift doors opened, she miraculously got super-charged legs and walked off at high speed without me. Huh? Was it something I said? Have basic manners gone out the window? Are we becoming socially awkward around one another?
A good friend of mine was in a coma in hospital a few weeks back. As he recovered, I asked him if mutual friends of ours knew what happened, he answered, “It’s awkward. How do I tell them? Do I just put it on Facebook? I don’t really know how to bring it up.” Sometimes we announce the most ‘arb’ details on social media, such as what we ate for dinner or what time we go to bed. But alerting people of something more serious just seems out of place. How did we do it in the old days?
And don’t get me started on emails. Does anyone bother to reply to emails anymore? It feels as if I send emails into a dark abyss and no one ever acknowledges what I say or send them. I only realized the email system was down after a whole week last week after supplier emails were not coming through. I had concluded that they were incompetent and they thought that I was ignoring them. No, the emails just weren’t coming through but no one picked up a phone to check.
Some days all I do is shake my head and wonder… what the hell has gone wrong? Is this the new norm?
Keeping up with the Walkers... 
Can relate to the tone of frustration and amazement at the lack of human decency and grace you have been observing.
Living in a small country and in a small community – I am beginning to see the beginning of this individualistic view of the world which promotes the thinking of self and independence as being values more preferential to community and togetherness.
I feel that our sense of common citizenship and shared humanity is being undermined by the values of striving and self promotion.
I was recently on a bike ride – training hard to a plan and watching my numbers. I rode past a couple of lads walking their bikes with an obvious puncture. I chose in the moment to keep pushing past them as I was going really well. 1KM down the road I realised what I was doing and was thoroughly ashamed of myself racing past them, knowing I had the tools and spares that could get them back on their way.
When I turned around and went back to apologise and offer help they were really shocked that I had done that. I was ashamed, they were shocked. They had no expectation that someone would stop to help and even declined my offer as they had already called family to come collect them.
I guess the only thing we community minded folk can do is to continue leading by example and pass on the values that matter to those we have influence and connection with.
This blog post is certainly an important thing you can start with too.
LikeLike
Wow, your bike story really says it all. Thanks for the comment and taking time to read! Never stop being ‘you’! :-))
LikeLike
It’s as though common decency went out the door with please and thank you!
LikeLike
For the records, I definitely would have stopped to help you. But it’s so sad that no one around you cared, hope you didn’t get badly injured. I seriously don’t get it. I am that person in that would stop to tell someone their shoe lace is not tied properly or encourage the newbie in step class to lower their step so they can get a better hang of it easily.
Well guess we now live in a world where people would rather check-in on facebook than make real life connections (BTW, I only just learnt what check-in meant about a week ago)
LikeLike
We are way too politically correct and WAY too afraid to show our own vulnerability by connecting with others. Bo, speak your truth & those that connect with that will be drawn to you & others will be repulsed. The real people that you are seeking already surround you..
Erm.. Except maybe not at your gym on that day…
L
LikeLike
Oi vey. I often have the same musings. I get funny looks all the time because I’m the girl who would have stopped and made sure that you’re okay and I make little comments to start small talk all the time. People don’t care anymore, and don’t even get me started on littering! At least there are a few of us still out there…..
LikeLike
The world has gone mad. Just for the record – I would have helped you.
LikeLike
Aww, thanks!
LikeLike
Agree, people are far far far too preoccupied with the wrong things in this world !!! I’m going to use running to gather some money for the less fortunate. Email me at jateenbhana@gmail.com if you keen to find out more
LikeLike
You are so right – we were raised before all the net and facebook and so we were raised to ‘do on to others…’ and ‘play nice’ and so on. People are so self-absorbed these days it is very sad to see.
LikeLike
Sorry to hear that nobody came to your assistance when you fell at gym – such creeps.
LikeLike
Creeps! Exactly! :-))
LikeLike
My Granny was a wise woman and I hope raised me well. These where two mantras she always drilled into me was.
“You catch more Ants with Honey than you do with Vinegar”
“Always be nice to others as you don’t know how much they may need a kind word!”
Poeple are so self absorbed today they only think of themselves. Sad but true! You see them running now days too. They have lost the plot.
Nice blogg.
LikeLike
I like your Granny! 🙂
LikeLike