So I just sneezed (actually I blew my nose loudly) and someone thought I sneezed because he is so into what he is doing on his computer…that’s good because I pay him to be focused!  He said “God bless you” and I said “thank you”.

Now I don’t want to get political or religious about this, but it made me think…is that common courtesy or just something we do? This got me thinking about the lady who slid in front of 2 or 3 other people who were patiently waiting at our booth to discuss their resumes with us and after I told her she just cut the line she, in essence, said ..too bad for them!

When you are in an office setting or at an interview or at a career fair…what happens to common courtesy? Is it one for all and all for me? Are you holding doors for other job seekers or letting them fend for themselves? What about when you cynch your tie in the bathroom before going in to an interview, or jumping on the elevator and letting it close before someone who is clearly heading for it, gets a chance to board? Have you ever thought that the other person in the bathroom or the person heading for the elevator is the person who will be interviewing you for the job? Have you thought about the fact that another person in the elevator or even 20 feet away might see your act of what I will term “less than common courtesy” and decide you are not the kind of person they want working with them?

Am I the guy who cares too much and should not let this bother me?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

As we approach a solemn, Holy time in many religions it makes me think about my fellow man and how I can be a better me. In the grand scheme of things I think I’m a pretty kind and generous and courteous person, but hey, they even improve on the best cars year after year, so I can do a little work under my hood once a year.

Oh, and proof that I’m teaching what I preach…the aforementioned ‘God bless you” employee is my son. How proud am I!