Half-way to 2012 Goals + Honest-to-Goodness Politeness and Awareness

We are now past the half-way mark to 2013.  Scary, isn’t it?  I just want to ask how many of you have turned some of your goals into reality.  Now that we are half-way through the year, it’s a perfect time to think about the goals that you set at the beginning of 2012.  Have you achieved at least some of them and do you have plans in place to complete the others by December 31^st?

Since I have that off my chest, there is another topic that I’d like to now address. That is manners and etiquette in public places.  Summer is in full swing so people are eating out more often, going to parks and other public places, one of which might be a public pool.  I’d like to ask everyone to remember (and remind all of their relatives and friends) that they are not the only ones who are trying to enjoy these public spaces so it would be nice for them to keep their voices to a regular pitch, rather than trying to out-yell each other; keep the blasting loud music under control and also keep control of their overstimulated kids! It’s simple really -- just try to remember that there are several others who are trying to enjoy those same outdoor spaces that they are appreciating.

I can attest having endured most of the above this past week and weekend.  Firstly, I go to our pool first thing when it opens so that I can exercise.  Fortunately, most days, I get to avoid other residents who have kids or visiting grandkids and who descend later in the day. But due to some appointments this past week, I’ve had to go later in the day so I’ve had to experience kids who think that it’s their right to do whatever they want in and out of the pool while their parents don’t pay any attention to them. They think the life guard is there to not only be a real pain to them when he tells them to get off the ropes and not play in the swimming lane but to be a babysitter for their unwatched children. I overheard a parent saying what a pain the life guard was being so they were leaving.  HELLO, I’m all on the side of the lifeguard – he’s there to enforce the rules and it’s not just for their own safety but it ensures the relaxation of other residents. Sounds simple to me, lifeguards shouldn’t be there to discipline children and parents should be watching their children and keeping them polite and respectful of others in and around the pool. Am I really so old and out of touch that these two simple rules have gone out of the window?

My husband and I went out to a local and popular bar/restaurant for lunch on Saturday to celebrate my getting my permanent implants soon (no definite date yet but I’m living in anticipation). There was a group of 6 sitting next to us and two of the guys were talking so loud that my husband and I couldn’t hear each other so we weren’t able to carry on a conversation. One of the reasons that we go out for a meal or a happy hour is that we can talk without TV, phones or other techie interruptions.  I’m pretty sure that’s one of the main reasons that some of the rest of us go out as well. When that group of six left, the noise in the bar, quieted down to almost nothing, while still being nearly full of people.  It had been just those two guys who were drowning out almost everyone else in the bar. I can only imagine how difficult it was for the servers to try to make sure that they got an order correct with the loud “usually only a one-way conversation” from this table.

I don’t know what the answer is to getting people to consider others who are closely located next to them and therefore consider noise levels and the taking over of all the spaces at the pool for just one or two objects.  If you have an answer to these questions – PLEASE let me know

So, it’s mid-way through 2012 and I’d like to know how you are doing on your goals.  I’d also like feedback on what you think of people who are not being respectful of others at restaurants or pools, or anywhere else that you’ve recently been where others have been loud, disrespectable or just down right annoying. How do we get these people to realize that they aren't the only ones within that small confined space?