Boy on the Floor

The other day I was walking through our neighborhood mall when I came across a scene that had caught the attention of a number of shoppers. A young boy, probably no more than three, was rolling around the walkway of the mall. His mother was just a few feet away watching him have what looked to be for him a fun and relaxing thing to do. Shoppers, myself included, were forced to walk around him. I have no idea how long his moment of bliss lasted, nor what, if anything, caused it to come to an end. I can only hope for the sake of the mother and other shoppers that whatever happened was without drama.

This little boy was doing his thing without regard for others (with his mother very much playing the role of enabler). Looking back on this very minor incident, I was and am reminded of times when people communicate the same way that boy behaved. Without regard for others. At times, people talk and do not give those around them a chance to respond or participate in what is little more than a mini-filibuster. All talking and no listening is not any more of a way of communicating effectively than that boy's behavior was a way of shopping. Nevertheless, I remain puzzled. One the one hand, I doubt any one would disagree with that. But on the other, I witness far more of that than I care to admit.    

One could characterize the act of speaking at rather than with as a blatant example of selfish communication. It illustrates an undeniable level of disrespect for others much in the same way as constantly keeping people waiting despite the fact a specific time to meet has been set. That boy's behavior can be excused due to a lack of maturity. But what excuse do adults who talk at others without even attempting to listen have? Besides being rude, it suggests a lack of full understanding as to what constitutes effective communication. This cannot be allowed to continue.