Venting

Please bear with me, dear readers, as today I just want to vent. It is very cold here. I spent the morning teaching a chemotherapy class to nurses at the hospital. It was held in a classroom that had practically no heat. I came home and crawled under warm blankets and now I'm sipping on a cup of hot coffee and am still not completely warmed up! But, that's not what I want to vent about.

What I'm noticing and being disturbed by is that kindness, gentleness, respect and compassion are increasingly considered weaknesses. Bullying, belittling, and rudeness are becoming traits to be admired in the workplace, in the marketplace, in schools and even in churches. These behaviors get all dressed up and masquerade as "staying competitive" or "moving forward" or "increasing productivity". To be kind and gentle is to be weak and risk getting run over. It's most likely always been that way, but for some reason I'm taking notice just now. I also notice many folks who enjoy being confrontive and argumentative. There is adrenalin in that behavior and it's addictive. It makes me uncomfortable. It leads me to feel I should be more that way so as not to get swallowed up and taken advantage of. But it's not in my nature. I tend to be quiet and somewhat introverted. It doesn't mean I'm weak, I just choose different methods to solve problems and communicate. In fact I think it takes more strength to act with restraint than to lash out. No matter what values are taught in schools, or "focus groups" at work, or retreats at church, the bottom line is what society actually admires and encourages. And that seems to be bullying and disrespect.

OK, that's enough for today. My coffee has warmed me through and I feel much better. I know there is far more good in the world than bad. Sometimes I have to vent. Do you? Thanks for reading.