Forgive me for a minute while I climb up on my soapbox.

I have my rants and I have my raves. Some things bother me but aren’t really worth spending much time thinking about. However, some things really bother me and are worth trying to do my part to fix.

What really gets to me? The lack of common decency in San Francisco, and frankly in the United States. I know, I am preaching to a choir that either completely agrees with me or isn’t even listening. That doesn’t stop me from thinking that it people need to be more considerate.

I feel like lately I have seen more and more examples of people being rude, inconsiderate, or just down right terrible. Everyday I encounter crazy drivers; people who deliberately run red lights and cut others off. I’ve had people ram into me because I apparently was in their way and saying “excuse me” apparently didn’t cross their mind. I see people who let doors slam in others’ faces. There are awful bullies in schools all over the US who attack people with such force that the victims commit suicide. People in the media cut others down for entertainment.

The most terrible act I’ve been exposed to lately is the Giants fan who was beat by two Dodger’s fans at the Dodger’s home opener. Over two weeks later, he is still in critical condition at a hospital in Los Angeles. Come on people. People in this society are willing to beat people into a coma over nothing? Willing to physically hurt someone because he is a fan of a rival baseball team? We can’t be decent people? How incredibly sad. The men who performed that horrible act took something as innocent baseball and turned it into something worth committing assault over. That is not the kind of society I want to live in.

I am no angel, I am no saint. I am not a perfect person who is always nice and considerate of others. But I damn well try to be. I was raised to be kind and polite to people around me whether I know them or not. Saying please and thank you, holding doors, letting others go before me at a four way stop when its not clear who stopped first: all things I was taught to do because it was the kind thing to do. I believe that those small acts of decency can go a long way. These acts are becoming more and more uncommon in our society. It kills me to see younger kids and teens who are rude to others; they will grow up and contribute to the problem.

So please be nice. This world, OUR world, needs more love, decency and kindness. Hatred and indecency gets us no where. To quote one of my favorite bands Nada Surf; “Always love, hate will get you every time”.

I will climb back down from my soapbox now, thank you for reading.