Sunday, December 18, 2011

The dinosaur known as civility

Sometimes it seems as though random acts of kindness are far more common on bumper stickers than in real life.

I was at the pizza parlor the other night, standing around with other customers as we waited for our take-out orders to be filled. In quick succession, one woman, and then another, picked up their purchases and headed for the door, laden down with multiple pizzas and beverages and assorted goodies. I was standing right next to the door at the time, so I did what I’d like to think any sensible person would do under the circumstances: I opened the door for these people, because their hands were full.

The first customer gave me a look of such incredulous gratitude, and thanked me so profusely and with such a note of amazement in her voice, that you’d think I had snatched her from railroad tracks moments before a barreling locomotive was about to run her down. Is common courtesy in such short supply these days that it startles recipients?

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