I was annoyed this morning when, while leaving the grocery store, I witnessed a young man discard his shopping cart into….the handicapped space across from him.

“Really?!?” I grumbled just loud enough for him to hear as I snatched his cart and took it (along with mine) to the “corral” a few spaces down.

I wondered about this interaction well into the afternoon.

Wondered why he could not have taken the simple step himself to do the right thing.

Wondered if I expect too much of people.

Wondered how low I would have to set the bar in order to not be disappointed.

Wondered if humanity could survive the bar being set so very low.

Wondered if even that would not be low enough.

Wondered if we are entering a time when it is just too much work to look out for others in even the smallest ways asked of us.

Wondered if inconveniencing others is just the price we are gladly willing to pay in order to not be inconvenienced ourselves.

Wondered if he (and all of us) realize that we are “others” to everyone but ourselves.

Wondered where the givers were in what feels some days like a world of takers.

I found them this afternoon.

The givers.

Masked up and spaced out.

Arms out, sleeves up.

Giving of themselves literally.

Taking only juice and cookies in return.

And I wondered, as I looked around the room, if maybe the right thing to do will always find a way of getting done.

Wondered if perhaps I could raise the bar just a little higher after all.