May
21
I was in line at Starbucks and behind me was a mature couple who I would assumed had been married for a very long time. They were talking to each other about friends they had just visited. At one point in time, the gentleman said something negative about one of the friend’s houses. His wife immediately said to him, “Don’t be an asshole!”
I laughed a little when I heard this. After I picked up my drink and headed to my car I started to think about what she had said. It was so simple, “Don’t be an asshole!” Isn’t that the perfect way to live your life?
We spend so much time thinking about how to treat people, sweet sayings to explain to us why we should be nice, and of course the reminder that what goes around, comes around. But couldn’t we just let it all go and remember that simple phrase, “Don’t be an asshole!”
Maybe then we wouldn’t make fun of the overweight girl in class. Maybe then we wouldn’t make fun of the older person at work who can’t work the copier, maybe then we wouldn’t call the shy boy a wet blanket when he doesn’t want to go out drinking, maybe then we wouldn’t call the gay guy a fag because he seems different to us.
Don’t be an asshole!
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Michelle
on 21 May 2008 at 2:10 pm #
So true Michael… life is a lot nicer when we’re kinder to others, but before we can do that genuinely we need to be kind to ourselves. That’s what I’ve learned through experience. Here’s one of my favorite quotes about life:
“We create our fortune, for so the universe was wrought. Thought is another name for fate; choose then your destiny and wait, for love brings love, and hate brings hate.”
- Henry Van Dyke
Thanks again for your great blogs. Have a nice day!
Michael
on 21 May 2008 at 2:20 pm #
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful quote. It does start with ourselves. Such a great point!
Karen
on 22 May 2008 at 8:17 am #
Great wisdom here, Michael! You really know how to bring a message home. Thanks for another great post.