What is Wrong With People?

If you ever watch the old movies or TV shows, you will sense a spirit of comrade among all the towns people. The men are always out “working the land”; the women always tending to the children, sewing and running the household. Every Sunday, you would find the whole town at the wooden, white church. Families stayed together, prayed together and survived the hardships together.  “Goodnight Grandma, Goodnight JohnBoy, Goodnight Erin, Goodnight Pa.”….was heard coming from the TV every Thursday night…….

During WWII, the nation pulled together, struggled through the war together and suffered all the losses, together. Older brothers took on  the role in the household as the “man in the family” while his father was off fighting a war. Older sisters helped attend to the younger children while the mother worked in a factory, doing her part to keep our nation afloat during wartime.

Even in more recent times, such as 9/11, the nation was united. We went to churches, held hands with strangers and prayed for people we didn’t know. We hugged strangers in the grocery store, stood in silence as a hearse drove down the highway and flew our flag proudly.

Today, we have progressed to a place where we are complacent and bothered by those around us. We have become a self-absorbed, “All About Me” civilization, not really too worried about those around us. I see the health care furled changing daily. People are in the workplace for a paycheck, not for the love of caring for the elderly. I see their frustrations on their faces, not compassion, empathy and understanding.  I see the rudeness in our grocery stores, people shoving by one another, bumping carts without even a mumbled “excuse me.” I see it in the newspaper; stories about child abuse and neglect. Just the other day, there was a story about two women who oversaw a national chain day care facility in Northern Virginia. They beat, spit on, tormented and abused the children entrusted to their care. Another story was about a man in the next county over, shooting his 6-year-old son.  People today are bothered by other people….not unified, caring, empathetic or understanding.

Monday at work, I heard a daughter yelling at her mother; an Alzheimer’s victim, just because she could not express what she was trying to say.  ” Just spit it out mom, I don’t have all day to stand here. I have things I have to do…”  Wow.  My skin crawled, my fist clenched and my blood boiled…….I was on my way out of the office to toss the daughter out on her head, but she left before I could…….which was a good thing.

What, what is wrong with people today??? Why are they so evil, vindictive, cruel and just plain ole mean? Are we no longer born with purity and love in our hearts?    I am not looking for a Walton’s mountain moment, or not even a Little House on the Prairie warm fuzzy…..I am merely looking for a little decency and common courtesy exchanged in the human race………