(In my opinion)

What even is normalcy anymore?

It is easy to look at the world today and accept harmful things as normal. It’s honestly sad, but before you click off this article, let me tell you that this post is not going to be covering the huge, political issues of modern society. This is going to be centered around the little daily things we can to to make life easier.

1. Trash goes in the trash can, idiot.

It’s mind boggling to me that so many people don’t understand or care about this issue. When I go outside to walk my dog, I don’t want to have to worry about my little fur baby eating rotten food or getting stuck in a plastic bag. It’s not about looks or wanting everything to seem pretty. It’s about safety and respect. There’s no reason to toss stuff out of your car while driving or leave perfectly good clothes on street corners. We need to normalize treating our neighborhoods and public facilities better.

I don’t care if it is technically someone else’s job to clean it up. I don’t care if it’s how you are used to behaving. We are not living in the 1800’s where dumping trash right outside is the only way to do things.

2. Let people enjoy events!

Due to personalized feeds and easy content access, it’s easier than ever to surround yourself with ideas and individuals that share your interests. This is great for finding connections, but it comes at a price.Anyone who isn’t a fan of the content, has that same easy access. This can be dangerous, because some people still feel entitled to the “out of sight, out of mind” experience. If they see something they don’t like, they will feel the need to express their discontent as if it is a personal attack on them.

There have been so many posts, and loud public conversations of distain about people attending events. Events the speakers don’t want to understand in the slightest. It is sad to see that we can’t let others be happy. Simply letting people enjoy events without criticizing them for enjoying something niche or less popular is a rarity nowadays.

3. I don’t need to hear your phone right now.

If you don’t have headphones or earbuds, maybe don’t play your videos or music for everyone to hear. Especially in a public place that is supposed to be laidback and quiet. When in an already loud and busy spot, it’s fine. A little more noise won’t make that much of a difference. That doesn’t mean that it’s okay to do all the time, though. The local DMV is not your personal movie theater. Getting a cheap pair of earbuds or headphones is not so elusive in the first place.

As a person who loves music and YouTube, I wish I could blast my phone at full volume at times. However, I have enough self awareness to not force my interests onto others. I don’t feel comfortable having random strangers around me hear my phone calls, podcasts, music. So why would I want to hear those things from other people?

4. Small talk can have big results!

The way we converse with others can sometimes determine our moods, and small talk can actually help with that. Of course, forcing someone to talk to you is never a good thing. Don’t force conversation if the other person is clearly not reciprocating. If the person does reciprocate, make your small talk enjoyable! Be the person that makes someone laugh or gives a nice compliment. This is important because we all have enough negative interactions to deal with already. It might seem meaningless, but communicating politely can give them a break from other life stress, instead of adding to it.

When I am having a rough day, the last thing I want is the person standing next to me in line to glare at me after a simple “hello”. I hate when people look at me like I’m crazy when I ask “how’s your day going?”. When I’m working, there’s no need for there to always be awkward silence. It doesn’t have to be stressful experience.

5. You’re being way more annoying than your kid is.

If you don’t like being around children, that’s fine. If you are overstimulated and struggling with your child, that’s fine. What’s not fine is screaming at your kid in public, after the kid displays no distress or bad behavior. The amount of times I have seen a kid giggle or jump for joy, and the parent lose their mind because of it, is astonishing. Every child is different, but punishing your child for not having a tantrum just doesn’t make sense.

I don’t claim to know what it is like to raise a child, but listening to someone berate and insult their kid, and expect me to agree while demanding emotional support as if we are close friends, makes me sick. There’s no need for me to hear you talk about how “they do terrible in school” or “they are getting on my last nerve”. Don’t put yourself and your kid into situations (especially in public) that you already know annoys you or the kid can’t handle.