I’ve started this Thursday thoughts series with the 12 points of the scout law, which for the most part are good rules by which to live. Today, we hit the 5th point, a scout is courteous.
Courtesy is something sorely lacking in society, at least in the U.S. This is especially true of people behind the wheel of an automobile. Turning left from the right lane, taking your parking spot, cutting you off to change lanes on the freeway. It’s all part of the problem.
Some will say that no good deed goes unpunished. for example, last year I waited in line at the Goodwill store on half-price Saturday to pick up a 55-gallon aquarium.
I entered the store late because I allowed a group of men and women in their 80s and 90s to enter the store ahead of me. A woman who arrived ten minutes after me pushed her way through and had a whole cart of things before I entered the store. She arrived at the tank three steps before I did. I left the store empty-handed.
But which person did the right thing? It’s not always about winning. Sometimes, it’s about having respect for other people and being paid in gratitude and respect. That’s far more important than getting another aquarium.
