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A friend of mine from college has a form of dwarfism that gives him extremely limited walking ability. I have spent many hours pushing his wheelchair around col

A friend of mine from college has a form of dwarfism that gives him extremely limited walking ability. I have spent many hours pushing his wheelchair around college and now around towns. Newfound dislike of cobblestone streets lol. During one busy winter, he had to drive his mobility scooter to class in the early morning after a huge storm. The "ramp" to get from the sidewalk to the street to go where he needed to go was covered in snow and he couldn't push through. He asked the groundskeeper/janitor/maintenance guy who was shoveling nearby if he could clear it. "Not my job" I often wonder if Americans are especially selfish. There is this disgusting undercurrent of greed and "fuck you got mine" in our culture, and it harms everything we interact with. Think about the parking lot of your nearest grocery store, and how many carts have just been left in parking spots by people who think their shit doesn't stink. I wonder how many of those people run local businesses or government departments.

godelski 3y ago
> Newfound dislike of cobblestone streets God... yes > I often wonder if Americans are especially selfish. I can only speak to America and visiting another popular Asian country. I don't think it is uniquely American. It seems more related to people struggling and thus how much they're in their own world. I think about this a lot because it makes it a solvable thing. But maybe I'm just hopeful. I mean either way we live in a biased internal world, and if we're going to choose, I'll be optimistic in my pessimism (that things can be solve or significantly improved). At least that framework keeps me moving forward. But also, these experiences make me think about how important it is to offer help. Even in small cases or just see if you can lighten someone's load. There's many situations where it's little to no cost to you (in time, effort, and/or money) but mean a lot to others. Even offering often can turn someone's bad day into a good one (unfortunately sometimes after you leave). So I try to remember the little things. Because it is the little things that get in the way and make our lives difficult, so it makes sense that little things can also improve them. You don't have to be wealthy or a superstar to change the world, you just have to be a friendly neighbor.
- freedomben 3y ago
  > It seems more related to people struggling and thus how much they're in their own world. Yes, this is very well said and has been my experience as well. It's also been my experience that generally speaking we (the world and the US) are getting better and better at a11y. My cousin was in a wheel chair for decades before he passed away, and there were a lot of places we just flat could not go. It was a nightmare, but the worst enemy was ignorance, not selfishness.

godelski 3y ago

> Newfound dislike of cobblestone streets God... yes > I often wonder if Americans are especially selfish. I can only speak to America and visiting another popular Asian country. I don't think it is uniquely American. It seems more related to people struggling and thus how much they're in their own world. I think about this a lot because it makes it a solvable thing. But maybe I'm just hopeful. I mean either way we live in a biased internal world, and if we're going to choose, I'll be optimistic in my pessimism (that things can be solve or significantly improved). At least that framework keeps me moving forward. But also, these experiences make me think about how important it is to offer help. Even in small cases or just see if you can lighten someone's load. There's many situations where it's little to no cost to you (in time, effort, and/or money) but mean a lot to others. Even offering often can turn someone's bad day into a good one (unfortunately sometimes after you leave). So I try to remember the little things. Because it is the little things that get in the way and make our lives difficult, so it makes sense that little things can also improve them. You don't have to be wealthy or a superstar to change the world, you just have to be a friendly neighbor.

freedomben 3y ago
> It seems more related to people struggling and thus how much they're in their own world. Yes, this is very well said and has been my experience as well. It's also been my experience that generally speaking we (the world and the US) are getting better and better at a11y. My cousin was in a wheel chair for decades before he passed away, and there were a lot of places we just flat could not go. It was a nightmare, but the worst enemy was ignorance, not selfishness.