It's county fair time here in Virginia. One night last week, I got home from work and my family whisked me away to the Augusta County Fair. Lest you think that is some glamorous place, let me adjust your misperceptions. Think boiled hotdogs, over-salted and fake-buttered popcorn, cheap toy prizes, rickety fairway games, the stench of manure, and a lot of ill-advised tank tops. I LOVE IT. Fair season is one of the highlights of summer.
That said, it's easy to get caught up in the heady mix of free trinkets and blue ribbons, and to forget your manners. One particularly problematic issue is obliviousness. I'm talking to those folks who stop in walkways to text; to those who fling around purses or whip around balloon animals; to those who pile their personal items on the precious few chairs around communal food tables. I'm talking to ALL THOSE politicians stumping in crowded aisles, and particularly to their bumper-sticker plastered volunteers who are so excited to see their neighbors that they forget that space in the agriculture pavilion is not finite.
Of course, county fairs are not the only places where obliviousness can strike. It can also rear its annoying head in shopping areas, airports, playgrounds, concerts, and more, with little to no warning until you slam into a wayward texter and break their iPhone 6. So here's a good behavior lesson to remember when you embark into crowded places: Go with the Flow. If you want to do something that will disrupt the flow - play Candy Crush, tie your shoe, get elected, or eat your loaded nachos - do everyone a favor and get out of the way. We may not realize your tremendously kind gesture, but we'll all be grateful for it.
That said, it's easy to get caught up in the heady mix of free trinkets and blue ribbons, and to forget your manners. One particularly problematic issue is obliviousness. I'm talking to those folks who stop in walkways to text; to those who fling around purses or whip around balloon animals; to those who pile their personal items on the precious few chairs around communal food tables. I'm talking to ALL THOSE politicians stumping in crowded aisles, and particularly to their bumper-sticker plastered volunteers who are so excited to see their neighbors that they forget that space in the agriculture pavilion is not finite.
Of course, county fairs are not the only places where obliviousness can strike. It can also rear its annoying head in shopping areas, airports, playgrounds, concerts, and more, with little to no warning until you slam into a wayward texter and break their iPhone 6. So here's a good behavior lesson to remember when you embark into crowded places: Go with the Flow. If you want to do something that will disrupt the flow - play Candy Crush, tie your shoe, get elected, or eat your loaded nachos - do everyone a favor and get out of the way. We may not realize your tremendously kind gesture, but we'll all be grateful for it.
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