As month number eight of The Covid-19 Pandemic looms large, I find myself having to postpone my Jamaica Mastermind Retreat with Stuart Cohen for the second time.
“Hope may spring eternal” according to Alexander Pope in his An Essay on Man, but it is safe to say that we are all growing tired of this ongoing conundrum. In addition to being consistently warned that life as we once knew it has become yesterday’s news, it has become apparent to me that a lot of people are beginning to show their true colors and changing for the worse. Allow me to explain.
Some of you may know that I spend my time between two states. When I am not in Florida, I can be found just north of Cooperstown in upstate New York. You may also be privy to the fact that I am currently training for a half Ironman Triathlon 70.3 in Memphis, scheduled to take place on October 3rd. (Twenty-four years ago I managed to survive the full 140.6 Ironman and lived to tell about it.) I figured a half would be a “piece of cake.” That was before I equated 71 birthdays with sarcopenia.
My training forced me out into the world. At first, I thought it was limited to the folks living in Florida. As I was riding my bike along A1A during training rides, people would whiz by me in their cars as if I was invisible. With the warm Florida sun beating on my shoulders and the blue Atlantic off to my left (while riding south), I detected a significant shortage of “courtesy” speeding by me. I found myself biting my tongue and keeping all ten fingers gripping my handlebars, rather than publicly showing my chagrin. I thought things would get better up north.
I resumed my rides in the North Country while substituting a rolling ocean with rolling fields of grain dotted with horses, cows and sheep. I was wrong. Cars would approach me doing 60 without any sign of slowing down. Not a hint of courtesy.
What is happening to us? Where has civility gone? What is the downside in showing a little respect or courtesy to our fellow man/woman?
I don’t care if you blame it on the Dow Jones, Covid-19, parental up-bringing, lack of travel, a shortage of toilet paper, stifling masks or the absence of Sunday Night Football, it is time we all take a deep breath and introduce a little courtesy back into our lives before we totally run amuck and we all head to hell in a handbasket.
For the past few years, I have often wondered if the concept of ‘loyalty” was removed from Webster’s dictionary without my permission and replaced with “WHYDFML” (What have you done for me lately?) I just hope the word “courtesy” does not become extinct before some clown thinks it would be fun to run a cyclist of the side of the road.
Maybe it is time for us all to heed the words once shared by Simon and Garfunkel when they reminded us to: “Slow down, you’re moving too fast. You’ve got to make the morning last. Just kicking down the cobblestones. Looking for fun and feeling groovy.”
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club. Send for details.
mike@mikemarchev.com
One thought on “Has Courtesy Become a Non-Word?”
Mike, Mike, Mike…clicking on ‘spell check’ is not enough before you hit ‘publish’. Ya gotz ta actually re-READ (or have an editor do so).
Your point today is a very good one and, as always, I take your minute messages to heart.
So very sad that you & Stuart have to postpone again — but many of us don’t have the means to attend during this period of non-revenue anyway so we’ll all look forward to 2021 and attending to hear your coaching pearls then.
Thanks, as always, for keeping us inspired.
Your faithful reader(s)