Let's All Say No!
I watched a man at work this week, a quiet man, a serious man, one who is very committed to whatever he is asked to do. I watched him being ignored. He worked harder and harder and soldiered on and no matter how hard he worked or how much he produced no one seemed to care. It was easy to do – he wouldn’t shout or scream or threaten to go – he would just keep going. And he did, he kept soldiering on and on.
It made me stop and think about how everywhere around us, it’s the noisy angry people that get noticed, that get all the attention. Jobs being cut? Pick the people who won’t make a fuss – give the noisy ones, whatever they want just for a quiet life.
Two candidates for a job? Who’s going to rock the boat most if they don’t get it? Which one would you be afraid to face? Choose the quiet instead. In queues for service and in restaurants everywhere it seems like the noisy angry people are the ones being served first.
Why are we all rewarding bad behaviour and then complaining about the way society is? I guess it makes for an easier life. Don’t we all want a quiet easy life?. No angry people shouting at us, no constant challenge or criticism. Have we all just gotten too tired to say" no"?
"No" to being shouted at, bullied, disrespected and harassed. "No" to bad manners, no to people who cut into queues and to those who take advantage every chance they get. Maybe what we need is a national ‘Say No’ week.
Then again, maybe we’re just all too tired ourselves. Too beaten and worn down to keep standing up for the rights of the quiet ones. But if we don’t care enough to see it, who should?
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;
ensure justice for those being crushed.”
Proverbs 31: 8 (NLT)