I need to rant

[utahnix]

I have a gripe... it's been festering for a long time now, and it's about time I got it off my chest.

During the holiday season, when we're supposed to be in a loving and giving mood, I saw some things that were anything but friendly or charitable. In the parking lots of many local stores, I saw people shove their empty shopping carts into the handicap parking stalls because it was, apparently, unoccupied at the time, and they were apparently too lazy to put the cart away like they should.

Handicap parking spots quickly became engulfed by shopping carts and were, thus, unavailable to the people who actually needed them - the handicapped.

I've ranted to others about this before. In fact, one person suddenly interjected as I was complaining about it to him, and said he simply does not have time to put his cart away, and that it's the store's responsibility anyway. He laughed it off as if it was no big deal, and felt I was overreacting.

It bothers me because I see this everywhere. One, Americans are getting more and more lazy. Two, many Americans have less and less consideration or compassion for anyone other than themselves - and they seem to have a particular distaste for the handicapped (thank the heavens for the exceptions who actually put others before themselves).

I have a very close friend (one I consider more like a brother) who is handicapped. He lives a relatively normal life and actually often leaves the handicap spots for those whom he feels are less fortunate than himself (a trait I admire). But even so, I see how hard some things can be for him - things I wouldn't normally even think twice about. It makes me appreciate his good attitude a lot more, knowing what he has to put up with.

Compassion and consideration go a long way... especially when circumstances change the rules of the game, and suddenly the shoe is on the other foot.

[Brett1937]

I agree. I'm very young at the moment, 23, but my dad is recently disabled. I believe compassion can go a long way. And I'd hate to see my father have to struggle. It's bad enough just walking from the handicap spot to the store. Let alone around the store.