"It's OK"

No it's Not OK. It just isn't.

At the dawn of the 2012 presidential election, we have a choice. Not much of a choice, but a choice none-the-less. We've arrived at the choice through apathy, lethargy, and misinformation. Many people simply want to ignore the issues and hope they go away. Everything will work out for itself in the end. It's not MY problem . . . right?

I was just out shopping today. Among other things, I needed some spray paint. A teenager was in the paint aisle, shaking a can. Not an uncommon sight. I've shaken plenty of paint can's in the store myself. You need to make sure the little ball is free, it can't mix if the ball is stuck. You're probably planning to use the can right away, that's why your buying it after all. So, not an uncommon sight at all.

While I'm there, he pops off the cap, and sprays the shelf.

I lost it. There was nothing OK about that. There wasn't even any shame in the act, no attempt to hide it, he did it right there in front of me.

He thought, "this is OK. I'm not doing anything wrong. There are other spots of spray paint all over the shelves. I'm not the only one doing it. I just want to make sure the color is the color it's suppose to be. I don't want to take responsibility for bringing home the wrong color paint, so I'll just deface this shelf." Doesn't matter what went through his head, the fact is, he thought it was OK.

I reacted without even a thought. I was speaking without preamble. The words came out completely un-composed . . . "DUDE! Do you really need the check the color? It's RIGHT there on the cap. That's NOT what the shelf is for." He was clearly shocked. No one had ever said anything like that to him in public before, certainly not a stranger, and probably not even his parents. He gave me a weak giggle, and said quietly ". . . what is it to you?" I was already walking past him, pissed off, and said "Because I used to work at places like this, and I had to put up with that shit all the time," and just kept walking.

I don't know what kind of effect I had on him, or even if I had any at all, but he had an effect on me. He pushed me just that little bit, at just the right moment. I didn't want any confrontation. I wasn't out to get the kid in trouble, but it WAS NOT OK.

If this happened in 1950, the kid would have spent an hour in the managers office, his parents would have been called in, and he probably would have been made to clean up the mess. Instead none of that happened, nor would it. Tomorrow he will tell his friends "Some old guy yelled at me for spraying paint in the store. Lame," and for him, that will be the end of it. But maybe, just maybe, next time he does it, there won't be a next time? Maybe he will think back to that moment realize it does effect other people . . . Maybe?
This is the problem with our country now. Our values, have gone soft. So few are willing to stand up, and say, "THIS IS WRONG." Even when they do, the message is lost, or ignored.

This tiny little act so clearly galvanized my frustrations. Everyone seem's to think "it's OK." Everyone seem's to think that it's someone else's problem. Take that little spot of spray paint on 1 little shelf in a store aisle? What's wrong with that? There were already plenty of other spots there, that kid was just 1 more step in the process, he wasn't the beginning or the end. Just 1 little bit of erosion. Just 1 more chip in the veneer. That first spray made so many months ago, or possibly even just days ago, made it OK for the second spray. And the next 1 was just that much easier, and the next and the next, and so on. At some point, and I do speak from experience here, there's going to be more than just some unsightly spots on a few selves in the paint aisle. At some point someone is going to be very unlucky, and they will have the nozzle pop off, and the can will spray paint everywhere. I KNOW, I've had to be the guy dealing with it, more than once did I find such a can. But even if that never happens, eventually the store will have to replace or at the very least repaint those shelves. That means that some manager had to decide, this has gone far enough, this needs to be replaced. Some employee has to take the time to deal with it. And the shelves will have to be dealt with. Again, from experience, more often than not, they are just thrown away.

Bottom line, ALL of THAT costs money, time and materials, and that makes prices go up.

But it's OK, because it's not YOUR problem is it?