We are 17 years into the 21^st century. This is a new set of one-hundred years of opportunities to grow and explore as a culture and as American citizens. The past ten years or so, there has been a bubbling of anger among the country. Mostly, these days we are split along political lines. This split has made me wonder why political views have infiltrated the human values, courtesies and etiquette of the American culture. Our behaviors have become so rigid, leaving no room for those grey areas of life. Those areas of negotiation as we search for an answer that explains the grey.

For some reason, the culture has rejected the simplicity of polite actions and reactions. Instead, choosing without remorse, the behaviors of anger, vulgarity, disrespect and dark feelings of obliteration. Why have we evolved in such negative ways? Have we as humans lost the ability of forgiveness? Have we lost that little voice inside that tells us when we are behaving badly? Does no one have a conscience anymore? The conscience is that self-regulating voice that keeps our behavior in check with cultural expectations of kindness, respect and proper manners of acting in society.

This lack of respect can be seen in many television programs, especially the reality shows that seem to reward abominable behavior as entertainment. Where is the shame one should feel for behaving worse than a child? Where is the respect we need to feel about ourselves? Perhaps we have an entire generation of reality players, who cannot recognize that the reality they see on television is not the reality we want to display in our society. The adage, “do onto others as you would want them to do on you”, just doesn’t ring true any longer. We have instead become a people of anger, and tantrum-throwing, unforgivable barbarians. Instead of uplifting American society, we have chosen to destroy the etiquette that has made us a country other nations have envied.

Progress is moving forward, but instead, we have been going backward to life in caves. A civil society should be one we strive to achieve every day. We are smarter than a barbarian stereotype. Yet, we continue to berate, disrespect, vulgarize, and intentionally snuff out the good in ourselves. Why?

It is my belief that each of us can change the world, one brief encounter at a time. The action of pay-it-forward became quite popular in the last decade of the prior century. We can bring that concept into fruition again by turning around the negative thoughts, behaviors and actions we seem so eager to display. It begins with self-control and respect for ourselves first. To respect others is to respect oneself first. I am hoping and praying for a domino effect to occur from respect paid forward. It is a choice we must make to salvage our destiny and blaze a path forward for our great nation.

Perhaps this is a sign of growing pains, something we can move past. It takes much less energy to present a positive attitude than to hold onto a negative one. We have only one life, why not make each minute count with a positive impact? Long-held anger serves no purpose but destruction. Anger also pushes others away. We are not here on earth to push others away but to embrace differences, discuss different points of view and perhaps create either a compromise or an entire new opinion. Why miss out on amazing opportunities through disrespect and anger?

This was not written for agreement from readers, but to bring out thoughts about the negative path we are determined to embrace. I hope my words bring about discussion. Even that would be a step forward out of the depths of darkness and anger. Give your endorphins a chance to propagate and respect yourself. Your light will ignite someone else!