Who changed the rules?

This was not what I planned on posting today.

Today, I wanted to talk about how proud I am of some of my students.

Today, I wanted to talk about how awesome my Body Pump class is.

Today, I wanted to celebrate my long weekend.

But I can't.

I had a crummy day. And as I enter my door at around 7:30 p.m. on a Friday night, after having had said crummy day, I'm beginning to feel old and Southern: two things I've never fully identified with before.

Why, you ask?

Because, apparently, I woke up and somebody changed the rules.

Somebody decided that what I (and I think so many of you) have been taught since our childhoods is total bunk.

Manners, apparently, are dead.

Seriously, dead as a doornail.

Now, you all probably think I'm talking about kids, don't you?

Well, I am, a little.

But I'm also waxing on (OK, whining) about adults, mostly.

What the heck has happened to our culture?

When has it become OK to not say "please" or "thank you?"

When has it become OK to interrupt somebody, even when you can tell this is the absolute worst moment to do it?

When is it OK to yell at someone, snap at them, talk back to them rudely, when all they were trying to do was a) be pleasant, b) be calm, or c) and worse yet, be helpful?

When was it OK to be un-helpful and un-apologetic about it?

When has it become OK to blatantly ignore others feelings?

When has it become OK to patronize your peers, or heck, people you consider your friends?

When has it become OK to manipulate people and push them around, selfishly, even when you know they can't handle it?

I feel like we've become a culture of self-righteous, self-centered, self-indulged people. It's a place where we only value our opinion or what we have to say (I realize the irony of making this statement, considering I keep a blog for my words, but humor me.) We could care less about what everyone else thinks, feels, or experiences, it seems.

What happened to a world where we could speak our mind and sure, maybe we'd meet some disagreement, but it wouldn't be rudely given? What happened to a place where we respected our friends, our peers, our elders?

Pardon me for siding with a culture that has had its own share of pitfalls, but I'd rather we all lived in a place where men held open doors for women; where kids said "yes, ma'am" and "no, sir;" where adults shook hands and treated each at least politely in public. I am all for speaking your mind, but not at the expense of others' feelings and emotions.

I am over this world where we cut people off in traffic without a care in the world; where we expect vacation and "alone time" but refuse to give it to others; where we care about our well-being, but not that of those around us.

And just because I am your child's teacher, or just because I am your personal trainer, or just because I am your co-worker, or heck, just because I am your friend, does not give you the right to disrespect me, snap at me, yell at me, treat me with selfish intent, or manipulate me.

No one deserves to be spoken down to. No one deserves rude-ness. No one deserves to be pushed around, physically, emotionally or mentally, for what they say or do out of kindness and helpfulness.

And yet, I've had children and adults treating me like a second-class citizen all day. A day where all I was trying to do was help.

Well, listen, people. And listen good.

I. Am. Over. It.

I am sitting her, crying my eyes out, just so upset that there seems to be no respite from this world, where everyone is so rude to each other.

I am all for speaking your mind. Politely. I am all for letting your words be heard. Kindly. I am all for reaching for what you want. Magnanimously. But definitely not at the expense of others.

Because really, what good does going around hurting each others' feelings do for us? Is it helping you? Is it really making you feel better to treat me like dirt?

I used to really think that tearing others down would get you nowhere. I really believed that and espoused it in my everyday life.

But the thing is, I'm finding it hard-pressed to find anyone else who agrees with me anymore.

So my question to you, dear friends, is: What happened? Do you all feel like we're sinking into a culture of rudeness and disrespect? Is it just me, who wonders what happened out there? Why have we become so insensitive to others?

I really am interested in your responses. I want to know where we went wrong, and heck, I'd love to know how to fix it, so if you have any solutions, please let me know.

OK. Rant over. I'm done. I just had to stream all this out before it made me cry even more. I apologize for those of you that took the time to read this, hoping for something perkier. I shall return with something a little more upbeat soon.

Thank you for listening to me complain.