Same Little Shit Bigger Reaction

I’ve always been intolerant of intolerance but lately little things bother me more than they used to. People who hog the sidewalk for example. You know the ones who continue to walk 3-abreast seemingly oblivious to the others walking towards them. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not throwing hands or anything like that, but inside my soul is seething.

“Excuse me, could you push that door the whole way closed?” I ask the man coming into the air-conditioned cafe from an overly hot day. I utter no “please”; I keep my tone almost reasonable, but inside I am burning things down.

I think all of this is my reaction to those in power who are currently laying waste to our world, and to the multitudes they embolden to allow their prejudices and uglinesses to come out and play. These people don’t seem to ever consider others, unless of course to consider them as less than, or even less than human.

In some perhaps misguided way I am fighting against these tiny acts of discourteousness and entitlement as if they are actually bitesized morsels of the current rampant despicable behaviors that engender them. They may simply be clueless behaviors or regular old rudeness, but my radar is out, searching for even crumbs that appear to have fallen from the evil loaf.

Maybe I have big feelings about these small acts because I know I cannot battle against the bigger dark forces that currently exist. I’m somewhat like a child who throws her teddybear across the room in order to feel some measure of control because she has no control over her abusive father.

On the bright side, I also find myself awash with patience for anyone, friend or stranger, who is kind or attempting to be kind. Same goes for someone who appears to be emotionally lost or exhausted. I am also quicker than normal to celebrate human goodness in any form. I’m ready to throw celebration parties when I detect even a whiff of the good stuff.

I realize that all of this is teaching me to notice with even greater discernment when my own micro acts echo any macro garbage induced tenets that threaten the goodness in this world. It really is the little things. The trouble is, evil little things don’t need to be watered to grow, they thrive unless we uproot them.

Cinse Bonino
2025