To some degree I think that kids get a pass as far as civil behavior is concerned because they are still learning how to behave. This doesn't mean that I think people's kids can or should be running around like wild banshees but we have to give them a little more patience than we do older folks who are supposed to know better.
I have pretty high standards of adult behavior though and recently I was involved in something that really got under my skin to the point where I actually contemplated stopping doing what I am doing with my bowling group.
One of my many jobs was being a school teacher briefly and I say this now like I did back then: I don't think I was good at it but the management liked me, so I stuck with it. I did realize during those few years of not really taking this job seriously though, that kids need to be engaged and controlled at all times lest they revert to their chaotic state that most kids seem to gravitate towards.
As an adult, I think it is expected of you to be more courteous and respectful than when you are a kid and also, you can't really be reprimanded properly if you are acting out of line. Well, recently during one of my bowling speeches I actually had to stop and reprimand a group of about 4 people that were being seriously disrespectful of what was going on while I was attempting to do an award ceremony the likes of which I have done many many times (every single week) after our bowling competition each week.
We have many awards and the giving of medals and championship belts is purely ceremonial and mostly quite silly. There are no monetary benefits to winning it is all just for fun and so we can all feel like we are not 30-80 years old (we have a guy that goes with us that is 83!)
You see, the thing is, I receive nothing for doing this and there actually is a bit of prep time that goes into me giving this ceremony. I have to remember stats, names, scores and also try to make it entertaining to the 20 or so people that are watching as we hand out our silly awards that range from plastic WWE replica belts to rubber squeaky chickens. It doesn't take a lot of time to get this done, maybe 5 minutes or so, but if you don't think it is difficult to dive a 5-minute speech, I challenge you to try to do it. It doesn't bother me to speak in front of people, I am not nervous or anything, but is it really too much to ask for the people in attendance who don't have to do anything but sit there, to shut the hell up for the few minutes while I am talking?
I take no joy in reprimanding anyone and I don't like to have to treat grown up adults as if they were children. yet this is exactly what I had to do at my last bowling speech as there was a group of people that were talking while I was talking to the group and to me, this is a very high level of disrespect and selfishness. It is hard enough for me to remember everything that I need to say to this group, but it is made even more difficult by people who wont shut up or even whisper while it is going on.
I stopped talking at first and just stared at them, but they didn't stop. Then I said "Hey guys! Sorry, is my prepared speech that none of you are capable of doing interfering with your conversation?"
That's the thing: While it seems arrogant to say, none of the actually are capable of doing this speech. I know this because last year when I was traveling in Mexico other people had to try to do it and all of them were terrible at it. You would think that given that this was so difficult for them that they would maybe be a bit considerate when other people have to do it, but no... they didn't stop talking even after that until eventually I regrettably blew my top and said "if you guys don't shut the fuck up I'm going to stop doing this."
After this they shut up, but I could see that they were not at all sorry for what they had done. They also "took the hump" towards me for some time after the speech was over and this is childishness extraordinaire. You know you were wrong for what you did but you are going to try to turn this around on me? I don't think so.
I think, unfortunately, the the world has become considerably more rude than it was when I was young. These people in this situation had zero regrets for what they had done and none of them offered up an apology. I just don't understand what could compel someone to be so uncaring about others around them even when that person (me) is the main reason why their fun event exists on this day and all of them look forward to participating in it.
In the future I think I will handle it differently or perhaps resort to mob rule and just stop talking and look at them until the other members of the crowd, who are being respectful take matters into their own hands on my behalf.
Hopefully, dear readers, you are not the kind of person that would talk through someone's speech that is going on in front of you but if you are, I think now might be a good time for you to reflect on how you are an inconsiderate jerkoff for behaving like this, and karma is going to come and bite you in the ass one day, hopefully.
