It doesn’t fly anymore with me………

On my trip out to Reno, I was reminded, again, about how far our world has come from what my mother and father taught me:

1. Always say please and thank you.
2. Be courteous and let others go in line before yourself.
3. Don’t speak loudly and disturb others.
4. Greet everyone with a smile and a kind word.
5. Offer to help others anytime you can.
6. Show appreciation to those that serve you.

Before I got to Reno, in three airports, three flights, on three airplanes, others repeatedly broke all those rules. At first I got angry and resentful, then I thought about it a little more and decided to do something very unconventional. Do the right thing anyway.

I started trying to follow those simple rules from Mom and Dad and try very hard not to notice when others failed to do so.

I was standing in line preparing to get on a plane next to and older man, probably my age. He looked calm, the kind of calm that comes from living long enough to not get so worked up about everything. We were in the Zone 1 line to board the airplane first, another business man waited until the last minute and stepped in front of us, cutting the line. We looked at each other and smiled and gently shook our heads. We went on to have a nice short conversation about how so many people in the world do not know or seem to not care that there are others in the world with them. We laughed about how our parents would have spanked us if we acted that way.

Later I decided that people can step in front of me, but they can’t make me react badly, they can
ignore my needs, but they can’t make me ignore theirs. They can be unfriendly, but hey can’t make me act that way. We are all are our own, free moral agents. We can treat others the way we would like to be treated, or act like we don’t care.

I know how Christ suggested I treat others, I also know He told me to forgive that I may be forgiven. The old way of doing things will no longer fly with me, I know it will be a challenge,
but I’m going to ask Him for the strength to honor Him in how I treat others.

Now enjoy the airplane images I promised.

the pilgrim

*Photo Notes: All images with D700 and 70-300 AFS VR and 24-70 AFS lenses.