Is there any respect left?

July 8

I had a job interview yesterday in Lenexa. It was a wonderful experience, as far as interviews go, and truly I am perfect for the position. I left the company feeling like it was a great environment, creative, expressive, free-flowing as you can get within a corporate structure. Today I will make that all important followup phone call to keep my name in the front of her memory and hopefully it will pay off. I would make a fantastic Executive Assistant. Next week I will be meeting with the rest of the exec team to see if our personalities blend. I have great hopes for this position. But, I am getting away from my chosen topic.

So I left the building after sharing lunch with a friend I have known since I was 10. Barb is awesome, talented, and totally under-utilized in her capacity, but she is a trooper, and keeping her chin up. I felt on top of the world as I stopped at the Quik Trip to fill my car with gas.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a man watching me. As I looked in his direction, he approached me and asked me what type of perfume I wore. Hesitantly I told him it was a scent from Alfred Sung and why did he want to know? He said he was a representative from a major perfume manufacturer and would I come to his car and sample his fragrances. Huge red flag.

Now, keep in mind it was 1:30 in the afternoon. I was in a busy gas station. I was dressed in my best suit and he was dressed casual business. Clean cut. Beady eyes. My intuition was bonging away to get the hell out of there. I have no idea what he really wanted. It completely freaked me out. Who approaches a woman, alone, at a gas station about perfume? I hastily told him I was late for an appointment and hurried my butt into the store.

The guy at the counter thought I had lost my mind. I bought a soda and just stood at the door watching him. He didn't approach anyone else. After a couple of minutes, he got in his car and left with two other women. They were not dressed for business, casual or otherwise. They seemed like they all knew each other. I was not about to leave that store as long as he was in the parking lot. The major thought which kept running in my head was the time when I was very small and a stranger tried to get me into his car as I was walking home from the store. It was a block from my house. I was probably 8. I didn't grow up in the city. I grew up in a tiny town where everyone knew everyone else's business, and most front doors didn't have locks that worked. Thankfully nothing happened to me or anyone else at that time. I ran home, told my mom, and went about being a little kid.

On the news this morning, they told of a woman that was raped last night. It was in the same area (generally) where I was yesterday. My god I feel horrible for her. Was it the same disgusting human? Yes, my cage is rattled.

So where is the respect? Has all of humanity lost the connection we are naturally born with? Why is it ok to be horrible? Were these people raised by dingos? All this crap in the world goes on and on and what is going to make it stop? We are fighting a war in Iraq. It is tribal in nature, has been raging for a couple thousand years, and the great American government machine goes in to rescue what? Oil? We can't solve a tribal war.

We can solve a country spinning off its axis. We can step up to the plate and say that's enough. We can make a difference by just being respectful and decent to each other. Instead of turning our backs on each other to preserve precious boundaries, just reach out once in a while and do something kind. I know it can make a difference. I have to believe it will. I have five children preparing to live in this hell hole of a world. They will impact thousands of lives just by being who they are. They are good people with good values.

It's time for all of us to make a conscious effort to make a difference. Just one act of decency or kindness will ripple out to people you don't even know. It could sway someone from doing a bad thing to someone else. It most likely will inspire someone else to pass it along. As evil travels from one being to another, so does good.

I have to go do something kind for a stranger, right after I check my fences.