Moments of Light

There has always been a philosophical side of me that ponders at often times even the most peculiar of things, and in most cases I shrug it off and try to focus on the real world. Every once in a while, however, I will have a thought so interesting that it seems I cannot continue my day to day activities until I think it through. This time I am going to try and write it down.

To be honest, I am not quite sure how this will turn out. Clearly hoping for the best, I am optimistic that I will write several sections of this new undertaking. In doing so, I hope to convey a message of intrinsic thought rather than sounding critical of the world around me. The root of the writings I wish to accomplish is the question "why?". I wish to encourage others along the same path of inward learning, to think and ask themselves the same questions. i.e. "Why do I act the way I do?" "How am I affected by the things around me?" "What can I do differently?"

In an attempt to shorten what feels like an already elongated precursor, I want to recount the event that ignited this fuse of logic, and then introduce my topic.

It was an evening like any other at your neighborhood Blockbuster, I was helping a customer find Terminator 2 in the action section when I was rudely interrupted mid sentence. I turned around to see a woman, who must have been in her thirties. She said "Excuse me sir, I have been waiting in line for almost two minutes now and I would really appreciate it if you came and helped me." I asked her if she was in a hurry and she said no, and that she "just didn't understand why it should take 5 minutes to checkout at the movie store, when Wendys right next door will have you done in 45 seconds." I looked at the registers and saw that the cashier was finishing helping a customer and that no one else was in line. I helped the lady, and as she left, she told me that "Blockbuster ought to have self checkout counters like Walmart or Red Box so that people wouldn't be frustrated waiting around all day."

It really bothered me. It burned all the way down to the core. I kept thinking about it. I just couldn't figure it out, I was looking for a reason or an answer to explain her behavior, but I just kept coming up blank. As I fought to reason with it over the last few weeks, I have paid a very keen attention to the behaviors exhibited in our store, but also everywhere I go. I noticed that I too am very impatient, and that there are a great deal of things that aggravate me. I began to notice the same behaviors in many, many people, all in differing amounts, but nonetheless, these traits existed. I concluded that these behaviors must have their roots in something we are all exposed to, they seem to me, almost cultural.

Ultimately I have come to the table with one question.

In an ever increasing customer service and convenience oriented world, life is geared to be fast, cheap and easy; but at what cost?

I hope that each of you will find my subsequent posts thought provoking and helpful in the days to come.