Is decency dead?

With only 10 days until I leave the big smoke behind and head bush I've started to think about where it is I'm going.

I'm moving from a city of 2million to a town of 10,000. Quite a jump you would say.

But the lack of people might actually be something which is in its favour.

Let me explain, in just today alone;

• I've been given two fingers and abuse while driving (I'll be the first to admit I'm not the best driver in the world, but I'm certainly not the worst)
• I've had someone open their car door onto mine while I was sitting in it without apologising
• I've had a woman jump in front of me in a line at the newsagents 
• I've been served by a post office employee who didn't look at me once when I paid for my postage.

I'm sure it's not just me and frankly I'm far too young to be writing blogs about how the world has gone to hell in a hand basket, but it definitely seems to me that manners and common courtesy is going the way of the dodo.

Acclaimed author and social/cultural commentator  Alexander Mcall Smith  certainly thinks so. He recently spoke at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas  about how this is indeed happening across the board and how good manners, decency, honesty and simple courtesy is now well out of vogue.

I'm sure there are a ton of reasons for this trend, the never ending rat race treadmill, the crackberry and its endless red flashing light letting you know there are emails to be read at all times of the night, social media addiction and the endless pursuit of the almighty dollar all have a hand in the untimely death of good manners.

I'm guilty myself of just saying a rushed and insincere thank you to that tired check out chick at woolies without actually looking her in the eye, or genuinely meaning it when I ask someone how their weekend or day has been.

I do the corporate eye glaze. You know the kind, where you look like you are listening, but no one is actually home and your head is thinking, now when can I check out of this conversation and do what I want, or ask her what I really want to ask? All due to basically being in rush.

 Now I'm checking out of the rush, the rat race myself, I'm noticing the lack of manners and common courtesy more than ever. Just last weekend when I was in Gympie and went to drop off some stuff, the woman in the local convenience store asked me what my name was and if I'd been in there before.

I actually felt like I'd been slapped in the face. When she then said she hoped to see me again soon, (which she will), and wished me a lovely day I actually believed her. And you know what it felt good.

Funny how something so simple can brighten your day.

So with all the madness of my packing and sorting my life out so I can move to the country to focus on my book, its good to know that when people in Gympie ask you how you are and wish you a good day, they really mean it.

x
J