I hate, absolutely hate, the blind, righteous sense of entitlement that some people use to justify bullying and bludgeoning others to get want they want. The selfishness is disgusting. The hypocrisy is mind-numbing.
Unfortunately, maddeningly, how I react isn’t any better. I tend to reflect their behaviour, to mirror it back to them. I become obtuse, stubborn and pedantic.
Friday, I attended an event to honour citizens who have contributed greatly to our community for many years. The idea of the Living Legacy Book is to recognize people who have made significant, positive impacts on our community while they’re still alive rather than wait for their eulogy.
After the ceremony I made an attempt to be helpful for an initiative that a local environmental activist created and has operated for a number of years. Given past discussions, I should have known better. But I thought that, since I am leaving my responsibilities as a councillor, perhaps she would see no need to continue lecturing me on how ungrateful, ungracious, and ignorant the City is with regards to her efforts. No such luck.
She believes one of her staff should have a free parking pass. I have attempted to explain why this might sound trivial, but in fact, creates problems for the City. She believes her needs and organization’s work overrides the City’s concerns. In talking about what their needs are, it seemed to me that there could be other solutions. (They just don’t want to carry their materials a long distance back and forth each day — my suggestion was that the City provide a storage locker nearby.)
But she didn’t want to hear or talk about any of those options because she’s already decided what her solution is and she’s already determined that her needs are more important than everyone else’s. And so, therefore, my interest in talking about anything else — questioning whether there might be another way that would better for everyone — somehow is an issue of “manners” and respect.
How is simply having a different perspective rude or disrespectful?