I have had enough of the coarseness of modern life. Kill, kill, kill. Yawn, bo-ring. Why can’t we all just get along? And while we’re at it, why can’t adults stop wearing short pants except in special cases, like when they’re mountain climbing? And when did the human metabolism change so that we now die of thirst if we go ten minutes without a drink, so that everyone is now constantly suckling on a bottle of some beverage as they walk down the street in their short pants? My contribution will be to stop saying “fuck” here, at least, and to stop trying to run tailgaters off the road and giving them the finger.
Alpha and I went for a walk last night. She expressed her concern about Gamma, who, when she meets people, neglects to greet them or shake their hand. See, I don’t know what it’s like where you live, but here in Austria it is considered proper when you meet people – unless it’s like a party of 100 or something, but up to a dozen at least – that you go around and say “Grüss Gott” and shake everyone’s hand. Maybe Austria is a country of psychos, but if you don’t do this, someone will feel insulted. To me it seems sick, as if people are looking for reasons to feel insulted – “your 5-year-old didn’t greet me!” – but it results in a generally higher level of politeness. When you pass someone on the street (walking) you greet them – the younger person greets the older person. In small towns, not big cities, that’d take forever, of course greeting everyone, so you don’t do that. But in my village, I encountered a group of hard-core punks, with the usual body modifications and fantastic hair colors, and they all politely said, “Grüss Gott”. So I laughed at them.
Austrians can be rude, I’m just saying there is a code of manners here that, like it or not (and I don’t always like it), I think is not all bad. I know this site is named Feral Living but I sometimes question the value of absolute savagery.
I’m not saying children should not get into mudfights or spray their grandparents with high-pressure squirtguns. But I’m starting to think that Francis was right when he said it is good to be nice. I argued that kindness is better than niceness, but I now think they’re both good. What’s wrong with being polite and civilized? What’s wrong with giving other people a chance to speak, and listening to them?
I would encourage people to dress better and in accordance with their age, to get better haircuts (lose the mullet), to wait their turn and not take cuts, and to listen to people, to clean up after themselves, and not to carry around the fucking stupid drink bottles everywhere they go. And dozens more. What would you change if you had the power?
that seems pretty extreme to me. my other half’s younger cousins (who are something like 10 and 8, I think) are extremely shy, and pretty much *never* do the standard cheek-kissing greetings… yet I don’t think anyone has ever even THOUGHT to take offense to this. hmmph.
And I agree on the mullet thing. I get very sick of watching mullet-head families playing petanque out in the court outside our apartment while drinking beer at 11am on a Sunday morning.
Oops, I am wearing short pants right now, are you trying to tell me something?
i’ll be home in 45 minutes. they’d better be off by then. (what are you doing online, honey? i thought you were shopping??)
Look, short pants can be okay. once in a while. All I’m saying is, grownups should dress like grownups.
Who said hardcore punks were rude?
Rude hardcore punks (typically the ones from the suburbs, with slovenly spoiled parents) are rude. I was probably the most well-mannered and -read of my squat, probably, but it rubbed off pretty easily.
Rudeness is not a style thing, not a cultural thing, it’s a personal consideration thing. Yuppies tend, around here anyway, to be way ruder than multicolored, swiss cheese lobed teenagers. ;)
I would like to see all those people with their drink bottles learn to recycle them. No trashing reusables. That’s an ok place to start.
Oh, and the bunnies need to stop biting. That too.
- (1 of those “probably”s)
Ooh, here’s a thought: sometimes people are rude because they’re resentful and feel the world owes them something. As much as we want grown-ups to dress like grown-ups, that could be the problem for some of them. They haven’t found their style niche in the grown up world. Probably didn’t in the kid world, either, so it’s their fault, not fashion’s.
I think if everyone wore Vivienne Westwood, the world would be a much better place.
especially if fashion were sanctioned and we all got grants for shopping.
i could seriously go for a kilt.