Kindness

Since it's winter and there's been lots of snow which also inevitably means delays with public transport, people standing outside freezing and just the all round disappointment of having to wait while the crowds at the bus stops grow bigger and bigger. I often find myself getting frustrated with people, I all too often am really annoyed and bothered by others' behavior and so I was wondering if the problem was me - that I just don't have enough tolerance.
But then I've observed something new lately, I'm not generally unkind to people, especially not people who need help. And I realized that what it is I'm actually frustrated about is when people in general act disrespectfully and with no sense of common courtesy or thought for anyone but themselves. Like people who stand in the middle of the entrance to a rotating doorway. Or spry younglings who push past the line, in front of the older people, to get to the front of the bus. Or people who don't move their bags from the seat beside them even though there are people standing in the bus. Or people (both young and old!!!) who insist on walking, very very slowly, exactly in the middle of the sidewalk, making it next to impossible for you to walk around them and overtake them. Or people who put their feet up on the seats in the bus or the subway. The blatant disregard for all the people around them makes me really fed up. I'm more than happy to let someone cut in line ahead of me, IF they're nice about it and grateful. People with buggies are no exception either, they'll sometimes shove through the crowds, run over people's feet with not so much as an apology.
I have to admit I've been one of those- I have rammed someone with my buggy, but not without cause. I guess what I want to say is that I wish people would just be kind to one another and realize that you don't really win anything by shoving and being selfish. But worst of all I think, is the effect it has on your soul, I have a feeling that it eats away at your ability to be compassionate and kind to your fellowman, without having to have a reason and expecting nothing in return. It must make you much less aware of your surroundings and sensitive to someone who might need your help. It reduces the chances of you becoming a civilian hero and showing courage when needed. And to think that it could all be avoided by something so small as being kind to the stranger standing next to you.