simple things to make life better

i went to the grocery store tonight. i got mad about so many things. it is so easy to make the lives of stangers so much better in so many simple ways. oddly, i feel like even most good people overlook simple ways to help out others simply because its so easily excused. here are some things that i saw that made me sad....

pedestrians should ALWAYS have the right of way. there is no good reason that any shopping center should have to have stop signs in front of the building. none at all. even if you (in your car) have to wait for like 5 minutes straight for some people to walk in front of you, that should be no problem. after all, youre sitting, in a climate controlled car. there is a good chance that its cold, or hot, and they are outside with things to carry or push. calm down. let them thru. i cant even tell you how many cars tonight passed right in front of people who were waiting on sidewalks. put yourself in their place, look and them and imagine you very cold and wanting to get to you car.

push the carts back. seriously, chances are that you are going to use a shopping cart. so instead of going all the way inside and getting one... grab one from the lot. even if its from the cart return. just grab it and push it in. the little cart pusher boy will be happy about it later... even if he doesnt know about it. and honestly, if everyone grabbed a cart from the lot on the way in, cart boy could maybe be bagger boy instead and not have to work outside.

park further away and certainly not in the handicapped spot. i saw two cars tonight in the handicapped spots that didnt have tags or plates allowing them to do it. if youre in good health then there should be no problem parking a little further away. let the elders and preggers and people with lots of kids part a little closer. leave a few spots empty before parking.... i mean really, walking is good for you. why do you think treadmills are so popular?

if a person gets in line behind you and has one item and you have 20, let them get in front of you. it will slow you down by one minute where you will be slowing them down by 5. line placement is all chance. there is no reason anyone deserves to be where they are in line. so just bite the bullet and make someone feel good for once.

say things. i cant begin to tell you how much better you can make someones day just by cracking a joke or making a compliment to a person behind a counter. just say anything. this one is the easiest. it doesnt put you out at all. just be friendly. can you imagine how many people go in and out of stores each day and just act like the clerk isnt even there. handing money back and forth and not saying a word. seriously, say something... anything.

for the most part, our lives arent hard. you never know what kind of day someone else is having, or for that matter, what kind of life they are having. if each and everyone of us took tiny steps to make every persons life a little better... even if they dont know it.... we would all smile a little more. i think that would be nice.