This weekend I was in line at a fast-food restaurant. The man in front of me gruffly barked out his order. No good afternoon. No please. No thank you. Absolutely no niceties at all. It was both brutally efficient and glaringly rude. It made me wonder about the effect on the worker behind the counter; I imagine getting treated like that is demoralizing after a while. Some people are extremely callous to food industry workers, and I submit that you can make some fairly accurate inferences about someone's character in the way he or she treats wait staff.
It takes so little effort to be courteous. The cost of a smile, a thank you or a helping hand with a door is nominal, yet the return on investment is often incredibly high. That pick-me-up may make all the difference in the life of the receiving individual that day.
As humans, we seldom do well alone without the support of society. Kind words and actions are the hallmarks of the best of humanity. It is the support and comfort of being around others with shared interests, hopes and dreams that give rise to families and communities. Do your best to make a positive impact on society in the way you interact with others.
A Scout is Helpful, Friendly, Courteous and Kind.