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Entitlement or inconsiderate?

There is nothing better than real life experiences when it comes to blogging material.  Life just smacks you in the face and before you realize it you know you must write a blog post about it.  Does that ever happen to you?  What I usually want to do is to TWEET about it, but I am usually in such a hurry during my work days to even take the time to tweet.  Then there is the 140 character limitation.  I can barely say hello in 140 characters.  I know, I am a bit long winded. 

Oh yeah, back to what happened today.  I work for a vacation rental company that caters to vacationers that come to the SE coast from all over the world.  I would dare say that most of these folks are pretty well off.  I do my best to not compare my lot, with the likes of theirs, but something tells me that they are doing much better than we are.  Everything considered that is a very good thing, especially since their being able to vacation on the three islands, means that my company can continue to employee me.  A win win situation all the way around for me.  Smile

I guess everything comes down to perspective, and how you view the world around you.  I do a lot of people watching when I am driving around, and I try to find people who look really happy and content.  Most of the time I do not find that type of person.  The same people who have paid gobs of cash to spend 7 days in a fancy house or town home on the gorgeous SE coast are just as harried, busy and fretful as those who work on the island.  I also notice how some of the vacationers treat the worker bees that provide them with the many services that they require while they are here visiting. 

For the most part it seems as if everyone that is the customer tries to be peaceful , content and unrushed when it comes to getting served.  All it takes is one bad apple to ruin it for the rest of the barrel.  I try to remember this as I walk amongst our customers and am waiting in line for service.  I try to give eye contact, and find out the person’s name and ask them how their day is going.  Most of the time they take a quick glance and look surprised that someone actually cares.  When I am one on one with them, and no one is in ear shot, I usually ask them how they are being treated in general.  Most of the time they feel as if they are under appreciated, and abused in general, by those they serve.  I find that to be sad to say the least. 

Today, I walked into a local grocery store out on one of the islands ,and made a bee line for the restrooms.  You have to go through a saloon like wooden split door into a hallway.  On the men’s room and women’s room there is a sign that says something to this affect.  “This restroom only has one stable so please be patient for your turn in the saddle.  If the door is locked it must be in use.”  I tried the men’s room door and it was locked.  I leaned up against the wall, and patiently waited for a gentleman to come out of the men’s room. 

I waited all of 3 minute’s, and the sounds of someone finishing up their business came from the other side of the door.  Seconds later the door opens and I look up and a lady rushes out of the men’s room.  Smile  I sort of expected the lady to look a bit embarrassed and to make some sort of effort of being gracious and saying something.  Instead of doing that, she looked at me with a haughty look questioning me as to why I was even looking at her. 

I get it, she needed to go potty.  We have all been there.  I believe that I have even wandered into the ladies room in a rare occasion as my wife stood outside making sure that no one else would try to go in there.  I don’t believe I have ever gone into a ladies room because I was too impatient to wait my turn.  Heck, I have gotten absent minded and walked into a women’s room before, and had to back track my way out of the situation apologizing and turning three shades red. 

I am thinking that no matter what our stature in life or how well we are doing financially or socially, that we should slow down and stop feeling so entitled because of our stature and how we think we deserve to be treated.  How hard is it for us to take a breath and take the feelings of others and their needs above our own?  Are we so focused on our own worlds that we can not see beyond our noses and realize that other people have needs, feelings and expectations too? 

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