There's No Business Like Showoff Business: Why we must change

The hub you are about to read was inspired by and is the result of and response to (of sorts) a truly fabulous work by one of Hubpages really creative grandmothers. Oops, did I say that? (said in the voice of Steve Erkl)

I'm referring to "What is, "None of Our Business?" by fpherj48 found here on Hubpages. It addresses quite forcefully the topic "What happened to Manners, social graces and PRIVACY?"

As you, the reader, can see by the volume of comments received here, Paula, also known as Effer, struck a nerve with many of her followers (like me) and some other Hubpage hero's who just happened to be pulled in by curiosity connected with the title! In either case, after reading this emotionally packed piece of potential power, I presumed to offer my own presumptuous postulation of poorly performing punks and other unpalatable persons who could give a rat's rear end about this planet or the people placed here to inhabit it!

That said...this is just the opinion of one man, grateful for all that is, especially this family of Hubbers!!!

"Is nothing sacred any longer?"

Let's begin with the Definition of Sacred according to Dictionary.com:

1. devoted or dedicated to a deity or to some religious purpose; consecrated.
2. entitled to veneration or religious respect by association with divinity or divine things
3. pertaining to or connected with religion ( opposed to secular or profane)
4. reverently dedicated to some person, purpose, or object
5. regarded with reverence

For the purpose of this hub I am using the 5th definition only to avoid possible misunderstandings based on religious affiliation.

"Being polite and using manners, extending a common courtesy" will only be replaced when when we abandon them in our personal use and fail to teach future generations the value of consideration and care for each other. I have an old saying that may be hard to stomach but in my humble opinion, applies to the majority of our society. That is; when I point a finger at you (judgment) I have 3 fingers pointing back at me. (I see your guilt because I know it exists within me. How else would I know it existed?) I'm not saying we are guilty of impoliteness, bad manners or a lack of courtesy, but I am saying we all contribute to it when we accept it by turning our heads the other way or defending the blatant actions of those who commit them thinking they will somehow miraculously disappear without realizing any consequence. Unlike Paula, many are afraid to confront the conflict head on.

That's not me you say, I don't do that, I haven't contributed to today's dilemma's. Really? Have you ever gone 65 MPH in 55 MPH, Thrown your trash out the window while passing a No Littering sign, lied to get out of jury duty, fudged on your tax return, called in well to your employer, tried to have a traffic ticket fixed when you knew you were speeding or any of the other somewhat acceptable little transgressions of today? Be honest!

I admit there is a great difference between what I've described here and what Paula is questioning in her hub, but my point is this stuff begins inside of us and what we see in the behavior of others began with what we disliked in ourselves. The little transgressions grew and are now growing into bigger ones.

This is a photo of my 7th grade class. See anyone with pants around their butts with their drawers hanging out? Or girls without dresses? Of course not! Ok, so how did we get where we are today from there? It didn't happen overnight. First, the jackets came off, then the ties came off, the girls wore pants, then jeans, then wholly jeans then...you get the idea.

Please understand, this is not intended to be a judgment, but an indication of the evolutionary process of change that we condone and how our acceptance leads to the next level of infraction. If you need a different yet more relevant example, go to any courtroom in the country, sit down for a day and watch to your dismay how our system of jurisprudence permits convicted criminals to walk free because our laws have slowly evolved to now reflect more of a concern for the accused than for the victim.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I recognize there are other arguments that could be made in support of either side of this case and I have to say that I agree with the majority on this one, especially since I have lived through it, as many of you have. Yet, Corporate America, Public Administrations and governmental bodies today spend little, if any, "soft money" for training to prevent hard problems stemming from character issues because it is often more palatable and or profitable to pay the fine associated with any discretion. This, again in my humble opinion leads to mediocrity in the same way that not holding someone accountable for their public display of profanity leads to the denigration of our society as a whole. I realize we cannot legislate morality, nor do I want to. However, When we choose to take our hands off of the wheel, we couldn't possibly know where the vehicle will wind up.

I have been fortunate enough to coach, mentor and guide young men for almost 30 years now in multiple environments ranging from schools and churches to maximum security juvenile facilities and detention centers as well as managing and coaching people to perform their best in school and career. In that time I have learned a few things that I encourage parents, public safety and educational officials, business leaders and clients to consider regarding the development of our youth and up and coming junior executives. I will leave two of them here with you as a recommendation to help prevent the backward slide of behavior that Paula encountered in her hub. They are:

1. From Earl Nightingales "The Strangest Secret" - His definition of success is "progressively realizing a worthy ideal." (If you discover who you are, what gifts you possess and develop and apply them to a set of worthy ideals or goals you can live your life with purpose and passion.) How much time would you have to throw trash on somebody's lawn?
2. From Don Miguel Ruiz's "Four Agreements" - a) Keep your word impeccable (This reminds me of an old adage that a man's word is his bond. Who then needs a contract or a court system?) b) Always do your best. It's not rocket science, it's commitment to yourself, for yourself and for everyone around you. It's pursuing your highest good and the highest good of everyone around you.

There is so much more! However, Paula's work inspired the writing of this hub because standing on the sidelines doing nothing is not my style of participation in life. The video below is one of the most inspiring clips depicting what we can accomplish when someone believes in us and we believe in ourselves, giving our very best.

So, "Is nothing sacred any longer?" Life is sacred and we preserve it by living it fully, to the best of our ability, with love and forgiveness and focusing our efforts on improving ourselves and helping our brothers and sisters when necessary and possible.

In the meantime, let's spread the word that peace is possible and it starts with me!

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to participate with people who care!

Peace be with you all.