Academia and Chair Stealing

NOT REALLY FUNNY:

Today I found another example of what I don't want to be as an adult. I think I find myself doing that more and more as I reach the age of being CONSIDERED an adult...

I spent the better part of my summer finding examples of adults I do not want to imitate. Don't get me wrong, as much as I dislike my country 'hometown', there are multitudes of people there that I hold in the highest respect. However, working in a small-town supermarket I was exposed to a wide variety of unappealing people. These ranged anywhere from the extremely rude to the extremely stupid, with the smelly and senile thrown into the mix as well (of course there are combinations of all these features in some cases). You may think that I'm being a bit rude myself by saying this, but let me explain. I won't rant too much as there are enough funny stories about these people to fill a book (an idea I am rather considering...). To name only a few:

• the guy who cussed me out when I asked if he needed help
• the lady who put a gash in my friend's head with her truck and then drove away after a half-hearted inquiry into whether the blood all over his head was a big deal
• the man who asked for a product that didn't exist, and then acted like I was retarded when I told him we didn't carry it
• the lady who brought a busted six-pack of soda BACK into the store, standing there while it leaked all over the floor I would later have to mop

Anyways, I managed to escape this summer unscathed, with the exception of the countless thoughts of "I don't want to be like that as an adult..." Returning to the prestigious college campus, my interaction with adults lessened and changed demographics, from country folk to scholars. In many ways I was partial to the scholar (as a stereotype) but I am currently rethinking this assessment. I thought it would be different from the lack of manners I was bombarded with this summer...I was wrong. In the academic world there is just as much disregard for manners, perhaps more so, buoyed by the pretentiousness that some believe SHOULD come with knowledge. I could most likely come up with as many negative examples of adults based on college experiences as I could from the supermarket days...

I live by the Book that says we are to honor those put in authority of us, but (and I HATE adding but's to may Biblical beliefs) I still think that the authorities should try to be deserving of the honor I will give them regardless...

It seems oftentimes that adults, in this case college professors, treat the 'youth' with a disrespect that I think is unwarranted and offensive. The recent example that brings all this to mind was of no real significance, but it was the principle of the matter that irked me. I and two of my friends were going to get coffee after a class this morning and I had pulled three chairs around a table to wait for my friends to get their drinks. Apparently, a random professor needed a chair for HIS table. What does he do? He walks over to MY table and without a word, takes a chair and moves it several tables over to HIS table. It's not really the taking that bothers me, I probably would have given him the chair if he had asked, but this was not the case. The guy simply TOOK. It irritates me that I am not viewed as worthy of common courtesy. No "please", no "may I?", no "excuse me...", just the empty sound of a chair scraping on a floor, being dragged away from me.

In summary: I don't want to be like THAT when I grow up....