Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Thursday, December 05, 2019
Tuesday, December 03, 2019
The Carpool Line
As an anarchist, I'm anti authority by nature and choice. I believe the world would be a much better and safer place if we could all just cooperate and be kind. But I'm human. So very human.
I help with carpool every morning at my grandchildren's school. It's basically opening car doors and keeping the line moving. It's like an awkward, early morning ballet. The vast majority of families actively help by ensuring their kids are ready to hop out, already unbuckled, bookbags and lunchboxes in hand. For those kids who have special needs (or who just need some extra attention when getting out), there's some space by the door where there are student volunteers to help - or where the parent can get out and help without holding up the line. It works when we work together. Again, the vast majority of families cooperate.
But not everyone. Which brings me to The Man In The Hummer. Every morning, he stops in the middle of the line, gets out of said hummer, and s-l-o-w-l-y extracts his child. He's not oblivious to the fact that he's holding up everyone else - he makes it painfully clear to everyone around him that he doesn't care. When asked to cooperate he simply slows down even more, as if making a point that no one else matters but him.
What do we do as anarchists when someone insists on acting selfishly or refuses to cooperate with others? My first reaction is to just seethe - not at the obvious ruination of the generally smooth running carpool ballet, but at his proud disregard for everyone else.
I'd likely vote him off the island if that were an option. But there aren't really many realistic options here.
We can theorize all day long about how there won't be asshats in an anarchist society, but we live in this society...and let's face it there are always going to be asshats. Theres no magic formula for turning an asshat into a person who puts others first. (If there was, I'd have found it. Trust me on that one.)
So, we can examine our own motives and reactions. Would I be quite so put out if he drove a different car? If he pretended (just a little) to care about the people he inconveniences? Maybe, who knows?
These types of petty irritations and how we react to them can show us how and where we need to develop ourselves. So, since I get massively irritated and even pissed off at people sporting trappings of affluence who act like they own the world and that everyone works for them - what should I do about that? What can I do - actually do - with myself to change my reactions in a way that will benefit everyone?
I have no freaking idea. But it's something to think about since I don't want to turn into The Petty Tyrant Of The Carpool. That wouldn't be very effective, and it would make me the jackass. It would be like Cartman screaming "Respect mah authoritah!"
Maybe there's a little Cartman in all of us - even in anarchists.
I help with carpool every morning at my grandchildren's school. It's basically opening car doors and keeping the line moving. It's like an awkward, early morning ballet. The vast majority of families actively help by ensuring their kids are ready to hop out, already unbuckled, bookbags and lunchboxes in hand. For those kids who have special needs (or who just need some extra attention when getting out), there's some space by the door where there are student volunteers to help - or where the parent can get out and help without holding up the line. It works when we work together. Again, the vast majority of families cooperate.
But not everyone. Which brings me to The Man In The Hummer. Every morning, he stops in the middle of the line, gets out of said hummer, and s-l-o-w-l-y extracts his child. He's not oblivious to the fact that he's holding up everyone else - he makes it painfully clear to everyone around him that he doesn't care. When asked to cooperate he simply slows down even more, as if making a point that no one else matters but him.
What do we do as anarchists when someone insists on acting selfishly or refuses to cooperate with others? My first reaction is to just seethe - not at the obvious ruination of the generally smooth running carpool ballet, but at his proud disregard for everyone else.
I'd likely vote him off the island if that were an option. But there aren't really many realistic options here.
We can theorize all day long about how there won't be asshats in an anarchist society, but we live in this society...and let's face it there are always going to be asshats. Theres no magic formula for turning an asshat into a person who puts others first. (If there was, I'd have found it. Trust me on that one.)
So, we can examine our own motives and reactions. Would I be quite so put out if he drove a different car? If he pretended (just a little) to care about the people he inconveniences? Maybe, who knows?
These types of petty irritations and how we react to them can show us how and where we need to develop ourselves. So, since I get massively irritated and even pissed off at people sporting trappings of affluence who act like they own the world and that everyone works for them - what should I do about that? What can I do - actually do - with myself to change my reactions in a way that will benefit everyone?
I have no freaking idea. But it's something to think about since I don't want to turn into The Petty Tyrant Of The Carpool. That wouldn't be very effective, and it would make me the jackass. It would be like Cartman screaming "Respect mah authoritah!"
Maybe there's a little Cartman in all of us - even in anarchists.
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