Posted on 07/03/2013 7:53:54 AM PDT by 7thson
An interesting thing just happened to me. I am walking down the hallway where I work and coming down the corridor towards me is a black person who is blind. I am walking on my right side and he is walking on his right side. There is office furniture along the wall in his path. I call out there is office furniture in front of you in about ten feet. Loud enough for him to hear. He keeps walking and wham – walks face first into the side of a desk standing up on its end. I grab him to see if he is okay and to try to help him. He angrily shrugs me off and says to let him be, to let him walk on his own. I walk away pissed off.
The thought came to me as I walked away that this is symbolic of our American culture today. We see people about to walk over the cliff or into a wall. We yell out to warn them of the danger. They walk off the cliff or into the wall anyway. Then they get angry when we try to pick them up, help them, and set them on the right path.
Has it always been like this? Has our society evolved into a surly and ignorant populace over the last few decades?
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know where to bury the bodies of those who really piss me off
Actually, that's the exception when I'm in public. I won't horn in on a shop owner instructing someone but I have found 100% of the young types in those establishments to be respectful, polite and eager for knowledge.
Sort of like Henry Bowman in "Unintended Consequences".
I tell ya, I’m pissed off all the time at the society being surly and ignorant, so keep away from me, buster!
For those of you who don't know who he is, I regard him as one of the foremost conservative political commentators today. He is simply brilliant.
And I highly recommend PJTV.com...just great stuff.
maybe its just the one guy . he could be having a lousy day
Yes. And he might very well be pissed that he walked into something he didn’t expect to be there, or just at what he perceived as his own clumsiness.
I tend to give people a lot of leeway on these things. When many people hurt themselves, they tend to be pretty hard on themselves, especially the older you get.
But that is just you, RC...:)
Curmudeons are SUPPOSED to be cranky, dontcha know...
Why was it important to the story to mention that he was black?
Perhaps he's an angry black man that just happens to be blind? "I don't need no help from no white-ass cracker"
Having recently become handicapped, I agree with you.
When someone offers me a hand, I thank them warmly, even if I just touch that hand.
There are too many surly people in the world.
Well, I am 51 and it would be a shame if you ignored/overlooked me. My generation was taught the right way. Think we are the last one though...but then my youngest sister is 41 and she knows the right way....so anyone under 40-ish is suspect. :)
Lovely story, floralamiss!
Could it be because it was a man helping a man and that might be seen as weakness as well as disability?
As a woman, I’ve never had anyone treat me angrily or badly when I have offered my help.
Or it could be just what OTTB said: his own anger, despair
about his blindness is driving his behavior.
Yep.
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