The Professionals

Late last year, I went out with a group of people who I like to refer to as friends, although they have been known to have used the term "distantly acquainted" when referring to me, on more than one occasion ;-)

The cuisine of choice was Indian, so the obvious location was the local strip plaza sporting multiple choices for Indian Cuisine. On arriving there, it turned out that there was quite a celebration going on at said location, and hordes of people were there enjoying the festivities.

We decide to join the crowds and enjoy the foods on display, while taking in the general festive feeling around. Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas and now this, I can't help but agree with Frank Costanza on having Festivus..."The One Festivus for the Rest of us".

My city in So Cal is a large city, but its a small world! Why am I waxing poetic all of a sudden, I don't know.. it might be the Vicodin I'm on.. or it might just be fact. The population here is in the millions, yet I seem to recognize many faces. Of course, a lot of these work in my industry, some actually at my company.

I shake the hands, do the chit-chat, the usual small-talk about nothing, all the while nodding to people in the distance or just staring past some blank expressions. ...y'know.. "just making the nice". A typical social outing, I think to myself. I've worked with many of the people I see tonight, I've been to client meetings with some of them. All thorough professionals at work, handling themselves with style and grace, on every occasion that I've associated them in business or at work.

Which is why i'm surprised, as I see these same people take their disposable paper plates and throw them right near the trash bin, but not in it!. "Poor Aim", I think to myself, and look away.

The other side isn't much better. I see another group of people walking with their styrofoam coffee cups and callously tossing them by the side as they continue walking, and there isn't a trash-bin in sight!

Woah, what just happened here? I guess they're short of garbage cans around here.

Nature Calls..I heed it. The Men's room has a line, of course. I wait patiently, thinking about how relieved I'd feel when I get my turn. My sweet thoughts are abruptly broken, as I get a little shove. Suddenly I see two of these "gentlemen" barge right in, and cut right into the middle of the line, with one of their buddies. Funny, I don't remember reading about "holding a spot in the urinals line" in the book of Man-laws. I recognize these faces as well. Another one of those "professionals" I was talking about!

Am I in the twilight zone? Why is everything backwards? The same people that wouldn't dream of throwing a piece of paper outside the recycling bin at work are trashing coffee cups by the side of the road. People I've known to dispose of theirs and others trash in an orderly manner, after meetings, are now going ape-like tossing wrappers anywhichwhere! Guys I've seen patiently wait in line for over an hour just last week at the opening for the new Bond movie, are now cutting in line at a men's room? at a Men's room?? are you kidding me!

What changed for these people, now that we're no longer at work or at the movies? Aren't we still at a public place? a place of business? So why does etiquette go right out the window, just because it happens to be an ethnic place, Little India in this case.

I don't know why it happens... but it always happens!

We are like this only!