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What happened to caring, patience Sept. 11 brought?
© St. Petersburg Times Today in events large and small all over the country, speakers will extol America's renewed patriotism since the Sept. 11 attacks and talk about the ways that awful day changed Americans forever. And in some ways, Americans seem to have remained changed by that event. We no longer feel pompous and untouchable, because now we know that America is vulnerable in ways we never dreamed of before Sept. 11. We pay closer attention to the news, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. Some people are still anxious about flying, visiting large cities or attending events that attract big crowds. And we absolutely are a more patriotic people and seem more aware of how lucky we are to live in a free nation. Witness all the flags still flying, patriotic bumper stickers that continue to proliferate, special attention given to veterans and military personnel, even increased sales of patriotic music and flag-embellished clothing. But one change that occurred post-Sept. 11 apparently was not permanent. Remember all the ways that people were kind to each other in the days after the attacks? Do you recall how patient, courteous and uncomplaining people were? Remember how we tried to help each other? I miss that. In recent weeks I have noticed how the anger, the impatience and the rudeness are ratcheting up to pre-Sept. 11 levels. People are driving like fools again, cutting off others with a flash of the one-finger salute. People are cutting in line, grousing about taxes, cursing at store clerks, being nasty to their neighbors, demanding special treatment, shouting at their children. A few nights ago I watched a customer at a gas station have a fit of temper that left other customers, like me, shaking their heads. The man drove up to a gas pump, stuck the pump handle in his gas tank and prepared to pump gas. He either didn't see, or chose to ignore, the sign on the gas pump that said it was a prepay pump. The sign explained that he needed to pay at the pump with a credit card or go inside the store to put down some cash. A clerk informed the man over the intercom that he was at one of the station's prepay pumps. The man continued to gesture to the clerk, visible through the store window, to turn on the pump. When nothing happened, he began pacing and shouting, loudly demanding that the clerk turn on the pump. He could have gone inside and paid. He could have moved to another pump. Instead, in a fit of fury, he took the pump handle out of his tank and began ramming it as hard as he could into the gasoline pump. Then he stood in the parking lot facing the store, arms stretched above his head, the middle finger of each hand stuck out. He finally got in his car and raced out of the station. I witnessed another incident while waiting in a line of left-turning traffic at a major intersection. The traffic light was solid green and the motorist at the front of the line was waiting for a break in oncoming traffic before turning left. But the man in the car behind her couldn't stand waiting. He began blowing his horn. He stuck his hand out the window and waved her on. He was so impatient that he was bouncing up and down in his seat. I watched and wondered if he wanted her to risk her own safety and that of others by turning across oncoming traffic, just so he could be on his way a moment faster. What happened to the kinder, gentler American? The patriotism that swelled the hearts of Americans after Sept. 11 was a wonderful thing. But to me, an even better change was our new attitude toward each other, which sprang from the sudden realization that, despite our differences, we are all in this together. Together, we are indeed a force to reckon with. Is it really so difficult to be patient with each other, to try to add a little kindness to our daily interactions with others? Today as we salute the flag and celebrate our independence as a nation, I hope we also will remember the feeling of brotherhood that Sept. 11 gave us and which, in 10 short months, we have begun to lose.
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From the Times North Pinellas desks Letters |
