You probably thought this blog was going to be about writing, and it will be, but I find it therapeutic to relieve my frustrations not simply with the quality of literature in America, but all things on the way to and from the reading of same. Case in point, shopping at Fry's, the largest grocery chain in Arizona, and closest to my house. I can't do this anymore, I'm going to have to venture a couple of miles further afield.
I've thought some about why this market is so creepy and annoying. -- always out of lemonade, refusal to stock local produce, decent pita bread, that sort of stuff but the after today it's finally dawned on me -- its customers, or frenzied ferrets on meth.
Some sense of civility is necessary to maintain a culture whose citizens don't push and shove each other, or worse, but Fry's parking lot and even inside the building, are microcosms of danger that come close to illustrating the possibility of the complete breakdown of society.
I always park at the far end of the parking lot, just to avoid them, but today even pulling into a lane to get there, it was a war. Some guy in an old Pinto had backed out to leave, when the cell-phone chatting airhead parked beside him did the same, without ever looking to see if anyone was there. I patiently watched this near disaster unfold, (there was some yelling but no collision, although airhead missed even me by an inch, pulling away in her unjustified indignation). Before I could move further, two more people backed out in front of me, narrowly missing each other and me as well. I finally parked at the end of the row, passing up those empty spots which by this time only signified chaos, and while walking toward the door, nearly got ran into three times, snarled at twice by these Mario Andrettis of the parking lot.
I'm pretty damn sure I didn't take my invisibility cloak with me today, nor did my car.
Inside, things weren't a lot better. People careened around corners pushing carts like Sherman tanks, snapping at their children and sighing in exasperation. I got out fast, without incident, and made it home, but I felt an obscure sense of somehow having narrowly escaped doom. There's an air pocket of nasty around that place that affects people's brains, like Stephen King's market in the Mist.
Which leads to this post, gentle readers. There's an attitude of uncivil behavior that's rampant in this country. It's worse and better in certain cities, but one thing I've noticed about Phoenix in particular is it's pretty high, from markets to how people drive. Scottsdale is a little better, probably because the socioeconomic level is higher, but that's a double-edged sword, because in most areas where that's true, the nouveau riche think it's all right to have a sense of entitlement when it comes to manners, i.e., like pigs at the "me first" feeding trough. Just because you're wearing Fendi doesn't mean you get to act like an asshole.
Unfortunately, people without ethics, manners, morals and any sensibility of same are the norm, and it's getting worse, because they're breeding children that are just like them. One of the main reasons I don't teach school anymore is because I can't tolerate the behavior of the children caused by the stupidity of the parents that are raising them. Pumping $$ into public education in this country is like throwing it down a rathole. Half the school instruction time is taken up with disciplinary problems and counter-measures for them.Teachers who stand up for themselves and insist on civil behavior don't last long, to the detriment of children who don't act like characters from Lord of the Flies, to say nothing of society in general.
It's a flood, and we're all caught up in it. So let's be kind to each other. Or, the next time somebody is appallingly rude to you (which will be tomorrow, most likely), do your part. Let them know. They may not appreciate it at the time, but maybe the next person they're face to face with will. Don't forget to duck, though and check for weapons. Just saying.Oh, yeah, and shop at Safeway.
