Are You Smoothing The Path, or Creating Friction?

A couple weeks ago, my son and I played at a water park. When we were done, we went to take shower and change. I stepped into the shower, and cut my foot on broken glass. The shower floor was covered in it. Thankfully I only step on a small piece, but it could have been serious.

I quickly put a barrier in front of the shower and found an employee to clean it up. Then I went to first aid.

Last night, we waited in a long line to get on the bus for a ride from the amusement park to the parking lot. My son say in a row and took up both seats because he did not want to sit next to anyone. The bus was standing room only. People were tired. I asked him to move so that someone could take the other seat.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I return the grocery cart when I am done shopping and don't leave them sitting in the parking lot. Some people thought I was silly.

Today my son and I talked. He wanted to know why I wanted him to move on the bus. He said there are no rules that day he has to move.

I told him these stories. He's right, there are no rules. There is no rule which says that someone needs to notify an employee when they break a cologne bottle in a shower. There is no rule that I must return my shopping cart, and there is no rule that he needs to let someone sit with him on the bus.

However, there are things we can do to make life go smoothly for everyone. We can make sure no one cuts there foot. We can make sure everyone has a seat, and we can keep the store lot organized.

We can also hold the door for someone. This is something he really enjoys doing, and does often. I reminded him of this and asked why he did it since there is no rule. He said that, "He enjoys making it nice for other people." Exactly.

We all have the opportunity several times each day to make life go smoothly for others. Or not. We don't have to. There is no rule. It's a choice. We can throw our snacks away at the movie theater, or leave them on the floor.

I'm trying to teach my boys to be lubricant, not sandpaper in others lives. Reduce not increase friction. As he pointed out to me, not everyone thinks this way. I know. There is nothing I can do about that. What I can do is reduce friction, and encourage others to do likewise. There are no rules. It's your choice.