Treat Everyone As If They Are Equal, Especially If They Are Not

My parents raised my by example.  They never once, even when I became an adult, explained to me how we're suppose to treat all people equally and that no one was better or worse than anyone else.  They didn't need to, because that's what they always did by example.

But it's not true really, is it?  This whole, "we're all equal" thing.  Because we're not.  Some people are smarter than others.  Some people are more attractive.  Some people have disabilities and some people are just taller than the rest of us.  Those distinctions do make us different.

Ideally, we should all have the same opportunities in life.  We should each be given the best chance to strive and be successful, be happy and flourish.  But there are hungry people in the world.  There are people who don't have the chance to go to medical school, because their family is poor and they have to stay home and take care of a sick parent.

So while I try to treat everyone as if they're equal, I find I am more kindly, more polite, more understanding, to people who haven't had the chances I have or who possibly aren't as capable.

In the drive-thru line at McDonalds, I find I always say, "yes ma'am" or "thank you sir" and when I drive off I give the person a big smile that's a genuine thank you for making my day with these delicious french fries.

To the person who comes in to clean the bathroom as I'm washing my hands, I smile and tell them to have a nice day.  And I mean it.  There are people in the world who do lots of things I don't want to do.  I'm guessing they're not excited about cleaning toilets or serving up french fries every day too.

I don't know what circumstances got people to where they are, but I always try to be grateful and friendly, especially in a situation where the person is doing a thankless or difficult or menial job around me.  

The Big Boy Update:  Feeding the dog.  At school he's given jobs that adults do and he's asked to help do them.  He helps set the table for snack, clean up the table after snack, feed the guinea pig, put toys away and generally do things that model what an adult does.  The other day I asked him if he'd like to help feed the dog.  I got the little measuring cup out and we got her food.  He carefully carried it over to her bowl and poured it in.  He was very happy about being trusted with a grown-up job to do.  And the dog, as always, was glad it was dinner time.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  The Plate Cleaner.  My son doesn't do the best job at cleaning his plate.  This morning after the milk was gone, my daughter decided she was still hungry.  She had some spoonfuls of cereal in milk and found it satisfactory.  I say her down in his high chair and spooned her more and then let her work on his breakfast bar remnants.  She hardly ever gets full, but she did close her mouth, firmly, to indicate she was done eventually.  So the bottomless pit theory has been dis-proven.

Fitness Update:  14.5 miles in one day.  Most distance yet.  I ran with Jonathan in the afternoon yesterday and added 2.5 miles to my total for the day after my morning twelve mile run.  I was and am tired.