Totally agree.
Texas is know for being friendly and good neighbors.
“Leave us alone to live our lives in peace and we’ll get along fine, if that is not satisfactory, we’ll deal with it.” (smile)
I have a parallel in my life that bothers me.
I work in a hospital, and the hospital a few years back mandated with large signs that smoking is prohibited on the premises anywhere. I never smoked, but never had issues with people who do (since every member of my eight person family smoked at one time or another growing up, except me) and always just...tolerated it with no problem. I figured it was their life, not mine (if second hand smoke is an issue, I already have several lifetimes worth, so...it doesn't impact me) But my hospital put up signs, and that was the rule. And I have zero problem with that rule, because as we all know, there are people who go there who have terrible respiratory conditions that tobacco smoke can aggravate. The problem for me was, as a long time employee, I felt...obliged...obliged to tell people to stop smoking outside the Emergency Room. There were signs everywhere. Those are the rules, and by nature, I am generally a 'rule follower'. When I would walk by the Emergency Room, there were always people outside smoking. Always, sometimes as they stood right in front of one of the many prominent signs...and I felt the impulse to say something. But how could I? How could I say something to someone whose loved one might be right inside those doors with their life slipping away? How the hell could I go up to someone and tell them to stop smoking? I felt anger at the person smoking for 'breaking the clear and justified rules' that were prominently posted, but when I thought of that man smoking the cigarette being married to a woman inside who was fighting for her life...well, that always seemed more important to me. So, I couldn't tell people to stop smoking, and never did. I began to feel anger at the hospital for putting me in that situation, and while it never rose to a major thing, I felt that pang constantly when I walked out to go to my car. A few months ago, as I walked in past the ER, I noticed the "No Smoking" signs were gone. All of them. Either someone else felt the same silent conflict I did, or someone had a major row with a smoker whose loved one was in crisis inside the ER. Either way, I am glad it was not me involved.
I have a parallel in my life that bothers me.
I work in a hospital, and the hospital a few years back mandated with large signs that smoking is prohibited on the premises anywhere. I never smoked, but never had issues with people who do (since every member of my eight person family smoked at one time or another growing up, except me) and always just...tolerated it with no problem. I figured it was their life, not mine (if second hand smoke is an issue, I already have several lifetimes worth, so...it doesn't impact me)
But my hospital put up signs, and that was the rule. And I have zero problem with that rule, because as we all know, there are people who go there who have terrible respiratory conditions that tobacco smoke can aggravate.
The problem for me was, as a long time employee, I felt...obliged...obliged to tell people to stop smoking outside the Emergency Room. There were signs everywhere. Those are the rules, and by nature, I am generally a 'rule follower'.
When I would walk by the Emergency Room, there were always people outside smoking. Always, sometimes as they stood right in front of one of the many prominent signs...and I felt the impulse to say something.
But how could I? How could I say something to someone whose loved one might be right inside those doors with their life slipping away? How the hell could I go up to someone and tell them to stop smoking? I felt anger at the person smoking for 'breaking the clear and justified rules' that were prominently posted, but when I thought of that man smoking the cigarette being married to a woman inside who was fighting for her life...well, that always seemed more important to me.
So, I couldn't tell people to stop smoking, and never did. I began to feel anger at the hospital for putting me in that situation, and while it never rose to a major thing, I felt that pang constantly when I walked out to go to my car.
A few months ago, as I walked in past the ER, I noticed the "No Smoking" signs were gone. All of them.
Either someone else felt the same silent conflict I did, or someone had a major row with a smoker whose loved one was in crisis inside the ER. Either way, I am glad it was not me involved.