Show some respect

I pulled into the gas station and got out of my car to fill up my tank. The guy in the lane next to me was in mid-rant. He was complaining to his passenger and anyone else who would listen about the kid he came close to hitting. When he entered the station, a teenager was walking back to his car and wasn’t watching what he was doing. He was apparently looking down at his phone and the guy nearly hit him.

“Damn kids today. They’re always so disrespectful,” he said. He looked over to me for support. “They got their heads so far up their asses they create more accidents.”

I couldn’t disagree with the guy. We all pay too much attention to our phones. But, I also think we’re all so busy, it would do us well to slow down once in a while. I considered suggesting that to him. However, it was such a nice day, I didn’t want to ruin it by getting into a fight. Plus, the guy looked like he would give me a whooping.

A little perspective

I continued on with my day, but I couldn’t help but think about the ranting guy later in the day. I visited the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial (Iowa Jima Memorial) in Arlington. There wasn’t a large crowd, but every so often there would be a rush of people.

First some background. The statue, which is based on a iconic Associated Press photograph, depicts the flag-raising scene by six Marines on Iwo Jima during World War II. The memorial serves as a tribute for all the Marines who have died in various campaigns throughout the Corps’ history.

The Battle of Iwo Jima was one of the bloodiest in Marine Corps history. In the 36-day battle, approximately 7,000 Marines were killed and another 20,000 were wounded. The Marines’ efforts were vital to the U.S. efforts to secure a chain of bomber bases, within reach of Japan.

Open your eyes

I found a bench and took a few minutes to collect my thoughts. A million different thoughts raced through my mind. I thought about the monument and the service members who died in World War II. My thoughts also turned to my own son in the military now and the state of international politics. To be honest, I was thinking about run of the mill things too. I made a list of the bills that needed to be paid. I also noted how I needed to reschedule a doctor’s appointment.

I watched as a couple and a young child took pictures of the statue. I sat far away from the monument, but it was still fascinating to watch the mother bend down, point to the various features on the monument, and explain it to her daughter.

While I watched them, I started to get annoyed. The family kept trying to take a selfie but a visitor kept getting in the way. The guy had his back to the monument and was on the phone. He would walk haphazardly in circles and get in the way of their and other visitor’s shots.

A sign on a nearby walk states that the memorial is meant as a place of honor. The sign asked that visitors treat the area with respect. The guy wore a t-shirt with the USMC eagle, globe, and anchor symbol so I’m sure he knew the significance of the monument. Yet he still chatted away on his phone.

We all make mistakes

In my head, I was going off on a rant. It wasn’t all that different from the guy I saw at the gas station earlier in the day. “Damn kids today, put your phone down and have a little respect,” I said to myself. I imagined the guy was a Millennial (born 1981-1995) or Generation Z (born 1996-2012).

Of course, when I walked closer, I was in for a shocker. I realized the guy on the cellphone wasn’t a young kid, but an older guy in his mid-60s. I walked by twice to make sure I wasn’t missing anything.

It cautioned me of the dangers of making assumptions about others. It reminded me too that good manners are good manners.

They’re always in style.