Every now and then, someone will ask me what I dislike about this job and I struggle to pinpoint something worth saying.
I mean, I’m looking for a consistent annoyance that lingers and crops up more often than not.
The ones I can recall readily actually happen to be branches of the same tree.
So, when I lump them all together under one umbrella term, I’m trying to make it easier for the other person to get the gist of what I mean without going into detail.
Or, at least, that’s my hope!
In case you’re wondering, the thing I dislike most about this job is rudeness.
Some people just act like they have no manners and weren’t raised to be considerate of others.
And while it’s the adults that bother me most in most of those situations - teenagers aren’t far behind.
Now, I’m not trying to harp on that age-old discussion about “nature versus nurture” in behavioral studies because there isn’t enough room for my column to run that long.
But, if a parent is polite despite their child being an arrogant brat then I’m thinking that said kid is being influenced some other way.
However, I’m a journalist and not a registered therapist of any sort – but I did take some classes back in college and I can recognize the signs.
After all, when I’m keeping score on the behavioral cues then I hear enough “quacking” to give my hypothesis a firmer foundation.
You know, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck – it’s a duck!
Almost every event we cover requires taking notes and occasionally taking photos depending on what’s going on or what we need for the paper to help catch your eye.
We’re archiving moments in time in print and digital format to communicate to our readers.
Sometimes this includes working an ungodly amount of hours ensuring we have the most accurate and up-to-date information before putting out our product.
Of course, the downfall there is our printer’s deadline that limits some of our stories and coverage.
But, we try to do the best with what we have.
Unfortunately, that also sometimes means that we’re holding out for someone’s email reply or call back for the final word on something and when that person misses their deadline then fails to reach out afterward – it’s rude.
Though I don’t dislike that nearly as much as someone who tells me that they’ll get back with me before my deadline then leaves me out to dry!
However, my mom taught me to be the bigger person, so I don’t bring those sorts of things up very often – it just depends on how important the item was.
But with rudeness running rampant with all ages perpetuating it, I might just start calling people out on it.
Maybe my helpful prompting will give them the chance to correct their behavior.
After all, if we can’t treat each other with basic respect, then what is the world coming to?
I mean, adults setting better examples might change the entire world.
