The world is becoming more considerate.
I know, it’s a mess in a lot of ways. There’s a huge divide within the US, and it doesn’t seem to be getting closer. And if one more person cuts me off in traffic, I might lose my mind.
But the world is becoming more considerate. Here’s how I know.
Last week I attended a “Women in Business” event at the local Chamber of Commerce. The speaker is a psychologist, and had us do an activity centered around discovering our top ten core values. I’m pretty in touch with myself, so I found it easy enough. Except…
The woman next to me narrated her thoughts in a mousy mumble.
The woman diagonal from me crunched through a bag of chips, spilling crumbs onto the table in little orange bits of crumbly irritation.
The woman across from me chewed on the end of her pen while she thought—the cap must’ve caught and scratched the edge of her tongue.
The speaker kept offering additional direction through a microphone with just a hint of static as we worked.
The burned coffee urn pierced the air like hot roadkill.
My heart raced faster than my car had from being five minutes late despite every effort I made.
And then… THEN… the speaker had the audacity to ask if we wanted her to put on some music.
“No,” I said, loud enough for her to hear me.
The chatterbox next to me looked up, startled. “What?”
“I said no,” I answered. “I can’t handle any more stimulation right now. I would prefer no music, please.”
“Same here,” agreed Pen-Chewer. Her lower lip was redder where the cap scratched it. “I’m better without music.”
At which point, the speaker nodded. “Good for you ladies for speaking up for what you need. No music right now.”
She listened to me, and understood my overwhelm. Evidence to me that the world is becoming more considerate.
Great article, Kathleen! I agree with you the world has become more considerate somewhat as I watch it becoming more absurd by the minute.
Your funny pen made me smile, Kathleen. Thank you for the reminder that consideration is still present among us. I’ll try to be patient, have faith and expect it.
You also modeled how to voice my needs. I’ll try to be as brave as you.
I encounter consideration every day. But I must be intentional about it. If I’m in a rush, if I’m not feeling well, or if I want peace inside the noise, I might miss it. But it’s there. Thank you for the reminder.