Respect

It surprises me. We are taught respect from the second we learn the skills of mastering the use of bathrooms, and from the second we learn how to put on a sock. Respect comes in many forms: internal, external, family etc. It is the act of honoring. It may involve abiding. I can guarantee that there is something to respect almost every second of life. When you wake up, the sun for valiantly peeking through your supposedly “light-proof” curtains. This is

respect for nature. When you lay your head on the pillow, the fact that someone gave you this day. This is respect for your family. When you’re walking on the street, the construction workers who are risking their safety to keep their community ensured. This is external respect for others. When you’re running your first cross-country race, drinking water to stay hydrated. This is self-respect.

We are taught respect from the very beginning of our lives by our parents, then our siblings, then our teachers, our friends, classmates, colleagues, co-workers and so on. Yet we occasionally lose it, accidentally.

On Monday, I was at the outdoor swimming pool, about half a mile from my house, swimming my daily laps. A group of about 10 boys I had known from public school, were stretching the rules of the pool, when the director wasn’t there. Three of them were sliding down the handicap railing on a skateboard into the pool. Four were obsessing over pulling their swim pants really high over their chests and calling each other the next “Victoria’s Secret Angels.” The others were hoarding the baby slide. No, don’t get me wrong…they’re going into eighth grade. Suddenly, unannounced, the director returned, infuriated to see impertinent middle school boys abusing the property of the pool. Still swimming my laps, I heard claims, arguments and finally, a ban from the swimming pool for one day.

These boys clearly forgot what community, self, and external respect meant. They are returning some sense of learning they earned from their parents, teachers, and friends. They

are forgetting, intentionally. And I know this because I obtain a list of things that things are okay to intentionally forget. Respect will never be one.