Respect

   My generation (millennials) are often described by those older than us as "disrespectful". This weekend I stopped a few places on the way back from vacation that really challenged that perception. While in Virginia I explored two different caverns. The first was at the natural bridge, where tour groups departed every 30 minutes for a 45 minute tour. As one would guess, that meant that one group was coming back up the up and down path, as a another was going down, making the walkways a bit tight. To remedy this problem, one group was asked to step up on a platform so the other could get by. It was a free for all when it came to getting off the platform, so I stopped and moved to the side so two elderly couples and a family with an infant could go first. But the middle aged couple behind me, who could see what I was doing, became impatient and pushed past, almost jarring the baby. The second instance was at the Luray Caverns where a middle aged man decided that the rules did not apply to him, so he touched as many of the rock formations as he could.
   Such actions of impatience and indifference gave me pause as I realized that this was the generation that was supposed to have taught mine to be respectful. If there is no one to raise up the next generation what will happen?
   Over the past few weeks I have also heard horrible things come out of people's mouths. Racist comments. Ignorance. Bigotry. My first reaction was pain, followed quickly by anger, for loved ones who would be targeted by such awful comments. But then I started to grieve for my generation and generations to come, for hate is also taught.
    We are all role models for respect or disrespect. There is no way to get around it - someone is watching us and learning from us. So how will we choose to act and what lessons will we intentionally pass on to those who come after us? For we cannot simply blame others for not having the habits and core values that we failed to teach them.