Has Character Totally Disappeared As A Virtue?

Most of the time we write these articles for the website to inform you of things that we hope are important to you. This article is simply therapy for me. If you'd like to join in and be a part of my therapy I'd love to hear from you. Here is my story.

Thursday night because of some construction work at our home I had to park my car on the side of my house. I did not park my car on the street, I actually parked the car in my yard two or three feet away from the curb. The reason, there were other cars parked on the street on the other side and I didn't want to narrow the roadway any more.  I thought I had done the right thing.

Friday morning when I walked out to my car I noticed a very large dent in my vehicle. There was no note. There was no "I'm Sorry". There was nothing but a big dent and a sudden loss of respect for humans in general.

The dent can be repaired. My choices are many. I can report the claim to my insurance company and watch my rates go up or my policy get cancelled.  I can just suck it up and pay the price it takes to get the vehicle repaired. I guess I could drive around with a large dent in may car too. I am grateful I have choices.

I understand a dent in a car is nothing compared to issues that many of you are facing. Actually I am not as concerned about the dent as I am concerned about the burning dislike I am having for fellow human beings.  I feel violated that I am not even getting acknowledgment that I was wronged. This is where I need your help.

Should I be feeling such venom? My Dad taught me as a kid that " Your character is who you are when no one is looking." I believe that. I think I live that. I'd like to think that we all should live that. Maybe that's too much to ask. Maybe we are destined to live in a world of lies and deceit and disrespect. I am not sure I want to hang out here much longer if that's going to be the case.

Am I wrong for expecting others to live in accordance with virtues that I hold dear? Should I give up and join those who have no conscience? Am I showing my real character by not being forgiving in my heart and asking my higher power to help those that did me wrong to find a better way?

Wouldn't it be simpler for people to just do the right thing? Or has the line between right and wrong been blurred by stealing cable TV or sneaking our own snacks into the movie? We know those actions are wrong but over time they have crept closer and closer to being acceptable. It's still stealing. It's in violation of one of the Big Ten if you choose to live by that philosophy.

I guess I need to go to an AA meeting and help someone else out of their own troubles so I can find my own way out of my personal sewage.  Thanks for reading this. If you have a comment or a suggestion for me I'd love to hear it. You've always been there for me. You've been tough when you've needed to be and kind when I needed it. Thanks.

Sometimes the world wobbles when it spins doesn't it?