Which Way Will I Go?

I've noticed something about getting old.  It seems that people either go one way, or the other.

I don't mean health wise, (Obviously, we all go down hill health wise eventually!) No, I mean spirit wise. I've noticed that as we get older, we either get nicer, or we get real mean. I've seen it over and over.

Take “Bob.” He’s a nice one. You know, the one who says “Hey, what do you need? I got some time.” He’s the one who doesn’t complain if your dog goes in his yard. He’s the one who waves you on in your car when you’re trying to get into the busy traffic. He’s the one who lets you cut in line at the grocery store when you are holding 15 items because you didn’t really think you’d need a cart. And he’s the one who asks how things are going, then actually waits to hear the answer.

Then take "Don." He's a mean one. He’s the one who scowls at the parents of the crying baby in the grocery store. He’s the one who just knows that kids nowadays are all lazy and disrespectful. He’s the one who tips 10% because “hey, they get paid anyway.” And he’s the one who is sure that everyone in the government is a damn fool.

His attitude goes something like this: "I've lived a long time, and I'm tired of trying to be nice to everybody. Now, I just say what I think. I'm old enough, I don't care any more."

Don forgets that just because you think something, that doesn’t mean you should say it. Even if you think that somehow you’ve earned that right, you still can hurt someones feelings. And just because you’re old, it doesn’t make that hurt any less. And just because you’re old, it doesn’t necessarily make you wise.

So I wonder which way I’ll go. Maybe I’ve already made one of those turns, and I’m already on my way. Honestly, I watch for this. When I hear myself getting nasty with the customer service rep on the phone, I start wondering.  When I start screaming at the car in front of me because it’s not going fast enough for my liking, I notice it. I don’t want to be Don. I want to be Bob. Is this something we can choose? Or is it just part of our DNA, like our eye color or height? I hope not. I like to think that, when it comes to behavior, we all have choices. We all have different natural tendencies, so maybe the right choice is harder for some of us. But I hope we still have the option to do what is right.

I really hope I make the right turn.