I suppose it's convention to use colloquialisms.
For example, "No Problem." There's one that'll make my blood boil. The young man from the grocery store carries my things to the car, "Thanks," I say. "No Problem." is his response.
Apparently what he fails to understand is that I have absolutely no interest whether it was a problem for him to do his job or not. What I did was thank him for doing said job. The correct response is "You're welcome."
The other day on NPR they were interviewing some illiterate and at the end of the interview..."thanks for talking with us." " No Problem." Why the assumption that we're all so concerned about people's problems suddenly? We're not even concerned that they're people!
Seriously, no one gives a damn if I'm resentful today that I don't have a better job in education with my experience and credentials than I do. They just want me to do the job I have and shut the hell up. I should say "No problem" you'll pardon the expression.
Another is the word "individual." When exactly did we become so depersonalized that everyone is an individual instead of a person?
A quote from the editor of a local magazine which bills itself as the..."Voice for the LGBT and Allied Communities."
"Letters to the editor and most SpeakOut opinion pieces are written by individuals in the community."
I've never heard of them though they've apparently existed for five years now. See how I am involved in the community as an individual?
"'There were probably weeks of this student being subjected to harassment,' said Joe Gonzales, parent of a student at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard, where King was killed Feb. 12." Where is Larry King's name in that parents statement?
Does anyone notice a pattern here?
I recall a flight from France to Toronto a couple of years ago in which the pilots screwed up and ran off the runway resulting in a crash and fire.However, the rest of the flight crew was on their game and got all of the passengers out of the aircraft in record time and the incident was immediately referred to as a "Miracle"
How about a little credit for the PEOPLE who did the job they were trained to do? How about a little credit for the PEOPLE who got all those PEOPLE off that plane without losing one?
Why in our society today is everything referred to as a miracle when it goes well?
If things go bad it's..."oh well..shit happens." or "I wasn't told information I needed to make that decision so its someone else's fault." or " I didn't do anything. I just told people what happened and they went and caused all the trouble." or "If we're blessed and get the nomination." as Barack Obama said yesterday...completely losing any chance I'd vote for him, ever, with that one reference to a divine hand being necessary for any human to accomplish anything.
No one is actually responsible for anything. Unless, of course, they get caught red-handed committing a crime and then it's "Fry the bastards."
Let's start calling people people, instead of individuals. Let's make a concerted effort to look at each person as though their feelings mattered and that we give a damn about them even if it's only for that instant we're dealing with them that day. Even if we have to pretend at first,and most of us will have to, let's do it anyway. Maybe we'll start seeing each other as human beings instead of obstacles to our personal needs and wishes.
People have accomplished plenty without divine intervention,(if there even is such a thing) and our custom of late is to give them no credit. To take that credit and just negate it with divinity. Give to a diety, to an idol, to someone or something that may or may not exist. But people do exist! And they do accomplish great things. And they do make a difference and they do deserve credit, and they do deserve our thanks.
