Common Curtesy and Kindness Where have you gone?

I've been known to spend way too much time reading the comments sections of various news sites that I peruse. In my head I know that I shouldn't do it, but sometimes I can't help myself. I want to know what the Internet "crazies" will say. I'm not sure if I'm looking for validation of my point of view, or if I just like to stir the pot of my insides up.


After reading several pages of highly charged comments this morning I went off to my thinking place to get ready for the day. As I pondered some events that happened this weekend and what I had read, I wondered how I was going to raise my kids to be kind in a world where it is perfectly acceptable write/say things that are so nasty. If you don't root for my sports team you're an idiot. If you didn't vote for my political candidate you are uniformed. If you disagree with me you are ugly or fat, weirdo, jerkface, and more.

For some reason, people don't think twice about what they type and send out onto World Wide Web. Even though it is much more permanent than the nasty things you could say, but choose not to because you don't want to be mean to someone's face. There they are in print for people to read for the next forever. Sometimes I guess the comments are associated with a user name and not you per say but I've also seen some pretty vicious things typed right after names on Facebook. And from people who I thought were pretty nice.

I've written before about my oldest and some unkind kids at school, unfortunately this unkindness has started to make it's way into our home. With things said to one child being repeated to another. We've talked about the way treating someone else unkindly might make you feel good for a little bit, but it doesn't last. Then you want to be mean again. But if you are kind, the feeling lasts. It fills your heart and nourishes your soul.

It kind of seems like "everyone" is very concerned about kids being mean to each other. But no one is overly concerned with the overall deterioration of how people talk and interact in their day to day lives. I'm not an ostrich with my head in the sand. I realize that it isn't the 50's, or 1800's, or any other era we think of when reminiscing about the good ole days. But I do think there is still a place for common courtesy. I do not think stupid or idiot should be said to or about people EVER. Starting today I'm going to do the only thing I really can. I'm going to try very hard to be aware of the words and tone that come out of my own mouth. I'm going to be more kind. And most of all I'm going to start treating people (even when they aren't there) a little more like I want to be treated. Hopefully my example will have at least as much influence on my kids as the ones the world will present. Let's all make a conscious choice to make kindness the rule, not the exception.