By Nancy Cruse
This past weekend, I experienced parking piracy. You know what I’m talking about. After 15 minutes of driving around and around, I patiently sat, with my turn signal on, waiting for the last remaining parking spot. The white car occupying the spot backed out and headed out toward me. Before I could turn in – remember I have my turn signal on – a guy in a sporty black convertible looked directly at me, smiled a smirky smile, and pulled into my parking spot! Talk about rude behavior!
I cannot stand rude behavior! I am just dying to do an Attention Intervention. People don’t seem to know where they should focus. Very simply, if people are in front of you, you should be focused on them – not your cell phone or some other technology. I was recently in a business meeting when, about 10 minutes in, I looked around the room of 15 or so people and saw that 3 had their eyes attached to their cell phones. Why even come to the meeting if you don’t plan on being engaged?
I know I sound like the politeness police. I just think it’s important how you interact with the people around you.
Think about that guy in the black convertible who stole my parking spot. What if he was on his way to a job interview and surprise! I was the person interviewing him. Our previous interaction would definitely color my thinking on how well he would fit in as a team player. No job for you buddy!
When you choose to focus on a cell phone rather than a person that sends a very loud and clear message: “whatever I am looking at, whatever game I’m playing on my phone is much more important to me than you are.”
We have a family rule – no cell phones at meals and you have to participate in the conversation. This just about kills my 12 year old son. My hope is that this small exercise in people over things will help shape his thought process when it comes to how he interacts with people. Hopefully, in 4 years when he starts driving, I won’t have to tell him it’s wrong to steal parking spots. He’ll know.
Nancy Cruse has been part of the Bloomington/Normal community for the past almost 30 years. A widow, with five children, along with her late husband was a small business owner in downtown Bloomington. Now employed by State Farm, Nancy is active in the community, writing the Clare House newsletter and maintaining their Facebook page, hosting an annual Fourth of July Food Drive, a team leader and fundraiser for the Pat Nohl Lupus Walk, and a member of Toastmasters International, as well as volunteering in various capacities at Holy Trinity Church and schools. In her spare time, Nancy likes to run, bike, hike, read, sew, and be a vegetarian who occasionally indulges in a Schooners Tenderloin.
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