“Shooting from the Hip”

 I have not given up getting my unpublished book “The Split Second:  In Consideration of Others or Look Up from the Phone and How to Deal with Rudeness in Others” published. There is some “pushback” against my concept of a society where we all get along and are nice to each other. Then there are others who have been wonderfully supportive of me to go on with this project. I am incredibly grateful to them. I hope I can get the good word out there. That is the hard part for me, right now.

I want to discuss my current thoughts about watching what we say. I have touched upon the notion that many people want to be able to “shoot from the hip” or express what they are thinking whether those thoughts are incredibly positive and uplifting or quite negative and maybe even condescending. . . . .  and there is no filter in expressing any of those thoughts.

Once during my tenure as a high school teacher, I stood outside my classroom between class periods and observed two young ladies walking down that hall. One said to the other, “F**k you, b**ch! Don’t call me, B**ch.” This exemplifies the point I am trying to make here in the best conceivable way. It was at this moment that I told myself that I absolutely must draft a book about consideration of others and how we need to take that “split second” to think about our spoken words and deeds with others.

I genuinely believe that many people want to “speak their minds” and be able to express themselves openly, BUT (!) want people to be respectful of them and watch THEIR words. It must work both ways when it comes to consideration of others.

My book is about thoughtfulness for others and openly showing it. Many have told me that this is slipping away in society. I believe that we can truly become a society where we can all think of others as we “go out in the world.”  It must start somewhere, and I am willing to be a pioneer to bring it back into society.