Nasty comments

It is becoming painstakingly clear that the "good-old days" are a thing of the past. In this hi-tech, "dog-eat-dog" society, people tend to leave their manners at home.

Just recently, I braved the elements and journeyed to the grocery store with my oldest son, Seth. The hour was late, and shoppers jammed the aisles as tightly as sardines in a can. My patience strained, I maneuvered the heavy grocery-laden cart through the sea of arms and legs. Seth is at the age where I'm "uncool" to be seen with, and was walking slightly ahead of me. Two young men walked towards us and bumped roughly into Seth, almost knocking him to the floor. It takes a lot to anger me, but the sight of my child being manhandled sent my blood pressure sky-rocketing, and my mouth overloaded my brain. "Uh . . . excuse you," I called after the youth.

The boys turned around, and studied me critically. One of the boys, a blonde, elbowed his buddy in the ribs, sneered, and said loudly, "Oh look, a b**** and an idiot that can't walk." They slapped each other on the back, gave me the finger, and laughing loudly, jogged down the aisle. I literally saw red; I hadn't been that furious in a long time. I never would have been allowed to act like that, I fumed. Briefly I fantasized about running them over with my cart. Jonathan's voice brought me back to reality.

"Hey Mom. That was hateful of them, wasn't it?" I was ashamed of my actions, I had let my temper get the best of me, and had set a bad example for my very impressionable son.

"Yes baby; it was very hateful of them. I shouldn't have "popped off" to them like that either."

"That's okay; you were just sticking up for me." The rest of the shopping trip was uneventful, and we made it home with the groceries. But rudeness also lurks online as well.

Just this morning I was reading a very wonderful fellow writer's, Linda's, blog. Let me start by saying congrats to her for finishing her NaNo writing goal. What an accomplishment!

I am mostly a children's and a short story writer, and don't have the patience to write a novel right now. There are a few people that have the mis-information that writing is a very "tame" branch of the entertainment industry; wrong. When it comes to success and money, writers can be just as "cut-throat" as anyone else. Some are quick with jealous nasty comments.

What ever happened to loving your fellow human? Call me old-fashioned, but I long for the days where you were given warmth, not hostility.