I tend to have a low expectation of people in general- this way I tend not to be disappointed and I'm often pleasantly surprised. Last week I was reminded why my expectations are so low. I think we, in America, have finally reached a new low in terms of how the younguns deal with the real world.
'twas sitting at the local 5 Guys after hitting the gym (as is my wont) and caught sight of a young lady leaving the premises. Or trying to leave, I should say. With greasy bag of burgers and fries in one hand (and I do highly recommend acquiring such a bag, should you have an opportunity), the aforementioned gal tried to exit via the double doors. This particular establishment almost always has one of the two doors locked. Not wishing to exclude all patrons or become a fire hazard, they always have at least one open. Upon finding one door failed to open when pushed, she logically tried pulling the same door. Again, no luck, as the door was in fact locked.
Apparently, this caused a brain overload for the poor girl, as she simply stood at the doorway for quite some time. Perhaps she was considering her options. Perhaps she was distracted by a shiny object outside. Regardless- it seemed to take some considerable effort on her part to realize that trying the other door might be a good idea. After a quick push, she attained freedom and was off again into the wild. I was left, french fry halfway to my mouth, to wonder if we have indeed reached a point in our society where a teenager could be completely stymied by a half-locked double door. Apparently so.