Maybe it’s the fact that I am getting older (though one grandkid says I already am) or just grumpier, but lately my irritation button seems to be get pushed often by the lack of appreciation for directions and signs by people of the two generations behind me.

This came to a topper just the other day while I was waiting on a red light in the heart of our local downtown and I am viewing a young couple with a couple of kids, probably each between the ages of 5 and 8, waiting to cross the cross street at the intersection I was on.  With my light being red, it was obvious that the crosswalk they were wanting to cross was red as well, but after stepping cautiously out into the edge of the street and taking but a quick glance for any traffic, this young couple crossed anyway despite the red light.  And from my viewpoint the cross street was still green and had not even turned yellow yet.

The question you may be asking me, is whether there may have been any traffic approaching on that cross street and yes, as a matter of fact there was – though the car was still nearly a block away.  But is that really the point, the point is – the parents were teaching those kids it is alright to cheat or get away with something if you don’t get caught or hurt.  Maybe it’s just me getting old, but that bothers me.

Several years ago, a local pastor who seemed to have a flare for the dramatic with his talks, was discussing this exact same subject regarding how we set examples to others and most importantly the generations that follow us by how we follow the rules and signs of life and society.

An example he gave was driving down the interstate and traveling along at 85 or 90 when the speed limit is just 70 or 75.  He asked the congregation what type of example was that for the children who may have been riding with you at the time, and how would you counter that example the first time they may come home and whine about getting a traffic ticket for speeding.  Maybe the pastor had a very valid point.

A couple of final examples of how quick my irritation button can be hit is with the in and out doors at our local Wal-Mart.  There is a reason for the in-doors to on the side closest to the empty carts and the out-door is not.  Maybe it’s not so bad when the place isn’t busy, but when they are busy it really irritates me when you get people coming through the wrong doors.

I am the first to admit that when I am leaving with both arms carrying more than one bag of items and as I head out the out-door while someone is coming in through the out-door – yes, it irritates me and some days a whole lot more than others.  Do I say something, not normally – but I will walk out dead center through the out-door and force those who can’t read directions or sides to either wait or bump themselves into the sides of the doorway.  Does it irritate them, maybe – but then they should read the signs or directions.

Also at Wal-Mart people have a sense to pull into a parking stall that points into the driving alley instead of toward another parked car and it seems that when they do, they end up coming down the drive alley going against the grain of the parking stalls or the arrow.  Again, it is called following directions and signs, how hard is it – plus the first time your kid comes home after hitting someone while going the wrong way or gets a ticket for doing so, how will you argue they were wrong when they will most likely say ‘but you do it’.  Trust me, those kids remember stuff like that.

Wal-Mart recently redid their whole parking lot and I must say it looks nice and all the drive alleys and parking stalls are all very well marked with bright lines and arrows so that all can obviously tell where and what direction to go.  They have even laid down what appears to be like a paved alley, complete with a yellow dotted line, across the north part of the parking lot for those coming in off Centennial or Champlin.  But guess what, instead of following the new side street type directions, folks still wander off at an angle across the parking lot.  Maybe it’s just me getting old, but that really bothers me.

So maybe what I am saying is, while as a man in his twenties or thirties I probably did some of the same things that irritate me so much now – I also know when my adult kids do similar stuff I realize I did not install in them a respect and acknowledgement of directions and signs, especially many of those which are in place to keep us safe and healthy.

How will your kids or grandkids follow directions and signs as they get older, will they push the limits or just plain ignore them as if they are above others – remember it is all up to you and the example you set during these current travels you make in what we call life.

And there you have it, a yapping in response to something I may have seen and either liked or disliked, a memory remembered or forgotten, or maybe just a general insight to the travel of life I was making that day.  Either way, ‘Grumpy Gramps’ tells it as he sees it – so enjoy, enlighten or just think about what I may yap about and if you want, feel free to respond.

You can catch more Grumpy Gramps on Facebook under CrossDove Writer or on the internet at crossdovewriter.wordpress.com.

Oh, the ‘Grumpy Gramps’ comes from those moments when I spew out thoughts and opinions because I have been around the walk of life for a while and think someone needs to hear or read them.  Those moments sometimes come out a little less than calm and collected, it is those moments when the grandkids seem to cringe and say, ‘being grumpy, gramps’!!

Until next time – prayers, blessings & happy thoughts – ‘Grumpy Gramps’.

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