Over the past couple of weeks I have been so busy with film festivals and red carpet events, that I haven't had much opportunity to follow the swine flu epidemic (?) causing fear and anxiety around the country in recent days.
But, the issue reared its ugly head yesterday afternoon, and subsequently, prompted me to pause and reflect on the subject.
I was standing in line at the cashier (at my favorite discount store!) when I felt a little tingle in my throat coming on, so I quickly turned my head away from the other customers pressed up on either side of me, snatched the neckline of my T-shirt up as quickly as possible, then coughed into the fabric well out-of-harm's way.
Immediately, a middle-aged male shopper slightly ahead of me turned - and angrily tossed a mean-spirited retort - in my direction.
"You should cover your mouth when you cough."
Normally, when I cross paths with people throughout the course of the day, I endeavour to be as civil as possible, but the reaction from this lame bozo warranted a short sweet reprimand from the get-go.
"Sir, your back was turned towards me, so how would you know whether I covered my mouth or not? The truth of the matter is that I did."
Then, early this morning at a fast-food take-out, I witnessed another incident in which a patron was ostracized by virtue of the selfish insensitive conduct of a uppity classless woman who was also quick to rush to "judgment".
Just as the morning commuter was about to cough, he buried his mouth behind a napkin to suppress the untimely outburst as much as possible without offending (or upsetting, I gather) other guests in the establishment.
The woman (firmly ensconced at the table in front of him with her back to his little perch) half-turned in her seat, glared at the embarrassed man, then proceeded to issue an almost hysterical directive to her friend to get up and move to a table on the other side of the popular eatery to get as far away as possible from the offending individual.
What revolting conduct!
I was always taught that when an individual was down-on-their-luck - or physically ill - a little compassion was in order
Or, in the alternative, a bit of empathy.
Am I to assume by her reprehensible conduct that she's never been "under the weather" - or even experienced a sniffle or cough - in her entire life?
I suppose her sh** doesn't smell either?
When a crisis or epidemic breaks out in the community - shouldn't the citizenry make a concerted effort to tackle the potential threat with kid gloves - instead of pointing nasty accusing fingers?
The Dalai Lama once opined:
"Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibililty of real peace."
