The Shopping Cart
I think it’s safe to say that, as of late, most people who consider themselves to be decent human beings have been trying even harder to be kind. Their interactions with the outside world tend to be even more intentional. Whether it’s tipping the hostess at a restaurant for takeout, or simply thanking the cashier at the store, it’s safe to say a lot of people are trying. We’re in this together, and being kind will hopefully make these growing pains a little easier to bear.
Of course, there are those who can’t be bothered by basic human decency, and in the midst of the societal turmoil, it seems to be even more apparent.
I was at the grocery store this morning, picking up a few essential items. I got everything I needed, loaded everything into my trunk, and put the shopping cart in the return area. I honestly didn’t think anything of it, until a saw the woman in the green athleisure set.
She was parked maybe three spaces away from me, and loaded her groceries around the same time I did. Except when her cart was empty, she just pushed it into the space next to her, got in her car, and drove off.
There was a cart attendant in the parking lot as well. I went and grabbed the cart, and wheeled it over to join mine in the designated area.
He nodded his head towards me, and I waved in return.
At first, I wasn’t sure what bothered me so much about this. It was just a shopping cart. Something about refusing to perform the most basic act of human decency, really irritated me to my core.
Maybe it’s the fact that I work in a field that requires such delicate attention to the emotions of others.
It’s the most basic way to measure your integrity. Will you do the right thing, if doing the wrong thing has zero consequences?
I went down a bit of a rabbit hole, and it turns out “The Shopping Cart Theory” is actually a thing. You can read about it here, if you care.
Being kind isn’t hard. It isn’t painful, and quite frankly, it isn’t terribly inconvenient. It’s just that some people choose not to do it, even if unintentionally.
What if we were to intentionally look beyond ourselves, if only for a moment?
I challenge you all, to be kind with intention today.
Will anything bad happen to you if you don’t? No, probably not, but you’ll likely brighten someone else’s day.
Would that be enough?
