Are we, as a people, losing our compassion for each other? I see and hear things all the time that just make me feel ILL. People have so little regard for each other anymore. Where did this come from? When did it become “ok” to ignore those in need, treat each other with disrespect and laugh at other’s misfortune? As far as I’m concerned, it is just as important as it ever was to look out for my fellow man. Moreso, maybe, now that things are so rough out there in the big, bad world.
I saw a story on the Today Show this morning that turned my stomach. A woman in a waiting room collapsed and was left on the floor until she died. People saw her. People who worked at the hospital saw her. And no one helped. Until it was too late. Should it matter that it was an emergency room in a psychiatric hospital and not a standard hospital? NO. Should it matter if she was homeless? NO. What mattered is that she was essentially ignored and left to die because no one wanted to deal with her.
And what about the seventy-something year old guy that got hit by that car in New Hampshire about a month ago. It was a hit and run and there were people walking the street. NO ONE helped him, no one ran over to see if he was okay. What is wrong with this picture? I can’t fathom seeing something like that and just going on about my business. I simply could not. How is it that other people CAN? That scares me, folks. It really does.
And what about online? Oh, you hear it all the time. Stories about cyber bullying, etc and so forth. Those are the obvious examples. But what about the little moments, the small ways in which we turn our backs on each other on a daily basis here online? Why is it okay to ridicule someone on Twitter just because you’re online and consequences be damned? Even if you would do the same thing in person (perhaps moreso, because that in my opinion makes it even WORSE), WHY would you? What would you get from tearing someone else down? Does it honestly make people feel better to do this? I don’t get it.
Do you see in my sidebar where it says “kind blog”? I still try to hold true to the ideals of that badge. Sometimes it’s really hard. I get snarky like the rest of them. Boy, howdy, do I! But I try to limit myself, especially on this blog. Because it’s not doing myself or anyone else any favors. You all have my permission, by the way, to call me out if you do catch me disrespecting anyone here. I just don’t want to be that person.
I wouldn’t hit and run in real life and I won’t do it online either. I wouldn’t turn my back when I saw it happen in person and I’m trying not to do it online either.
Let’s all try to remember that we’re all in this together. We’re all people, we’re all human beings and we all have feelings. Lets show a little compassion, now, before it’s too late.
