Thankful Sunday, and Respect!

Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves.

I'm going to take today's "thankful" post to write a little something about Respect, I have to say that for me personally Respect is VERY important...  I don't care who you are, or who you think you are, or who you think, I think, you are...  you must respect people...  In the last week I watched someone be mean to someone else ON PURPOSE!  while a manager/person in charge was watching, and was very well aware of what was happening... ugh...  SERIOUSLY makes me so mad...  haven't people figured out that the way we treat them is the way they're going to treat us, what happened to "treating people the way we want to be treated"??  I did say something and the "person in charge's" response...  with a smirk, I can't stop her..  you know she's on her own program...  REALLY??  my response...  ummmm, i'm sorry, LAST I CHECKED YOU were the manager..  right??  i'm not sure this person liked the fact that I said something, but there is seriously something to be said about respect...  AND yes there is a difference between "liking" someone and "respecting" someone.. 

I ran across this quote years ago...  and it's something that I've used in conversations with people...  It is something that I believe 100%

I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being. - Jackie Robinson

....and about halfway thru the week I had a "talk" with someone about respect...  this someone treats others like crap, and I mean like crap....  in turn though she/he DEMANDS/EXPECTS respect...  I'm sorry, I don't play like that...  Give respect and get respect in return...  I go back to that whole you don't have to like me thing.... 

I think i'm very easy to get along with, ok....  sometimes more than others...  ;)  I will do just about anything in my power to help anyone out, shoot I will probably give you the shirt off my back if you needed it...  But I will also completely shut down when people are rude or disrespectful..  I just can't, I'm not emotionally strong to be fake...  I never have been, I'm pretty sure I never will be...

Which brings me to my next quote!!  ;)

Men are respectable only as they respect - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The minute people start realizing this, is the minute that our world will become a better place!!  ;)  Back to the "person,"  I talked she/he listened, then he/she talked and shot back with some really mean/disrespectful things....  really dude/dudette?  you have nerve is what I wanted to say...  in the end though, I remained respectable didn't shoot back with anything disrespectful, and was COMPLETELY honest in expressing my feelings, I did cry which I am mad at myself about, but oh well, it is what it is....  :)  and I must of made an impact because I got an apology and a sincere want to start anew...  we'll see...  I'm also a strong believer in,

"actions speaking louder than words,"

I also got a "high five and an I'm proud of you!  for finally letting it all out, and standing up for myself..."  ;)  even though it is not understood why I care so much about this person at all...  I know RB, I'm not sure why I care either, but I did, this one time and I think I was meant to be EVERYONE else's "voice.."  ;)

Treat others as you want them to treat you because what goes around comes around - Author Unknown

.....as always this comes with a hard learned lesson, one of these days I will remember that people, even "friends," can't be trusted...  someone, went back and told this person I was talking behind their back... (and sadly I think, actually I know,  it was someone I consider a friend, oh well chuck this one to the lesson learned pile!) ;) when I heard this, all I could do was laugh..  haha!!!  ummm...  OBVIOUSLY these people don't know me well at all, because I never, and I mean never say anything about others that I wouldn't say to their face...  things ALWAYS have a tendency to come back completely backwards, and with completely different meaning...  so there you go, I think I 'learned' a few people a little something about respect, and in the process I learned something about trust, and loyalty... 

I need to remember to thank my parents for bringing me up with the belief that, as Sandra Bullock said... "There's no race, no religion, no class system, no color, nothing, no sexual orientation that makes us better than anyone else." and for teaching me that everyone deserves respect...  even if they're not our favorite people...  and also for teaching me that "respect is earned..."

Until next week!!!  ;)