I'm not lazy, I just don't care

**This is a vintage post that I wrote on 2/24/2007 but never posted, Enjoy!**

This was on a t-shirt of a kid at the airport, and you know what….it’s true. Why don’t people care any more?

Just the other day we were going back to work after having lunch as we’re getting near an intersection with a red light this woman pulls out in front of us – blocking us from turning right even though she could have let us by (since we were in the turn lane and she wasn’t turning) but she just didn’t care. Even more so, she proceeded to unwrap her pack of cigarettes and toss the cellophane and the foil OUT THE WINDOW! It irritates me to no end when people just toss garbage out of their car window – not caring. Someone else will pick it up or it will just collect on the street and blow around as soon as the snow melts and the March breezes hit the city.

When did we become a society of not caring? When did we become a society of “it’s all about me?” When did we become a society of “screw everyone else?” I don’t know, and I don’t like it. It makes me sad.

A few years ago I had to renew my driver’s license, since I had just moved to Illinois I had an out of state license – which required me to go to the DMV instead of the local satellite office. I was prepared for a bad experience but decided that it didn’t need to be. All through the process I was pleasant to the people I encountered “hello, how are you?” and got typical responses back. It wasn’t until I was at the last station – the photo station when I waited in line and when I got to the front I said “Hello, how are you today?” The lady snapped at me “What did you say?” Not shying back, I repeated myself. A smile came across her face and she said “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m just not used to people being nice. I’m well today, how are you?”

I continued on and got my picture taken – with a smile, I might add – and then waited for my name to be called. SMITH…..JONES…..HANSON….everyone’s name that was before me and then all I heard was “Michael” and I knew it was for me…as she handed me my new State of Illinois Driver’s license she smiled and said “Have a great day!”

So when did we become a society of groaners and all about me’s? It wasn’t this way when I was growing up? Is it technology?

As I sit here people are all looking at their hands…looking at the PDA’s in their hands, looking at the cellphones in their hands…looking at the iPod’s in their hands. Everyone is engrossed in their own little world. People are furiously typing away on their blackberries trying to communicate with others who aren’t with them. They’re withdrawn from what’s around them and not paying any attention.

Technology is great….technology is wonderful….but really, isn’t it just making us all lazy? We no longer have to walk to the telephone and stay within the vicinity of it only going as far as the cord will reach. We no longer have to get up from our couch to change the channel or the volume on the television. We no longer have to cook for ourselves – we can easily “order out” and have it delivered or pull something pre-made out of the freezer and pop it in the microwave oven. It’s true….we’ve become very lazy…..and with that, we no longer care.

Ain’t life grand?