ONLINE EDITION FRIDAY OCTOBER 12, 2001

Opinion

While we are all coming around and trying to find our wits about ourselves since Sept. 11, we are hoping that everyone can finally understand that how we treat people counts. Some folks treat others with respect and consideration and now we can certainly see that some just don't.

We offer our heartfelt condolences for the losses suffered by all and hope that perhaps, just perhaps we have learned something from all the tragedy encountered. Sometimes I think we don't. Just today I encountered a situation that was not world-shattering, but shows that people don't take time to think and consider others within our own area.

I was at a local food market and the personnel was putting food in the meat section with great care to see that all was nicely in order, and looked appealing to people purchasing the items ... then along comes this lady who starts throwing the packages around looking for what she wanted. That's OK as long as she put the items back in the order she took them from, but no, she threw the packages around, mixed the special promotion packages with the regular packages and left the place in a mess to say the least. When I inquired of her why she did that, she said, "So what, they will put it back." They, I presume meant the workers at the store.

There was another customer at the same spot and she looked at me and couldn't quite believe what she saw either, so do we forget so quickly how to be nice, do we forget what happened a bare three weeks ago when people who certainly did not care for the lives of people involved obliterated them? Of course, this is not anywhere near the realm of Sept. 11, but I feel it just shows how people cannot be kind and considerate of others even in the smallest way. I certainly feel this "lady" was in the minority, but I feel sorry that it was in a place I frequent quite a bit ... knowing she was a "neighborhood individual." It makes one stop and think, and think and think; hopefully, I don't see her again!