Door Slamming: or what kate doesn't understand about human nature

I don't get it. I really don't.

This morning, my neighbors -- the ones with the swanky new door (see my unwarranted triumph and jubilation here) slammed it. I don't mean they closed it noisily, or that they were hasty in their departure and didn't close it with caution. No, they slammed it.

And I just don't get it. What part of "please don't slam your door" did they not understand three months ago when I started asking them that? What part of "I'm a really light sleeper and it wakes me up" don't they get? What is it about them that makes it OK to do whatever they please with no regard to the people living around them?

This is where I question human nature. I know I am a very empathetic person, one who is not only aware of other people, but so acutely aware that it is often to my own detriment. So I acknowledge that my perspective on the matter is skewed. (And I admit to being a light sleeper, so my perspective on the early morning noise thing is skewed, too.)

But when someone asks me to do something (or to not do something) I make an effort to follow their request, to respect the effort they put into asking me. That, to me, is human nature.

Now, I'm not perfect. I get drunk, or angry, or self-absorbed and don't pay attention to how I'm impacting other people. I'm not tiptoeing around the world, asking permission to breathe. (and I do so loathe the people who are, but that's a whole nother story) But if I get drunk, it's not at 7:30 in the morning, and when I'm self-absorbed, it never last so long that I have time to repeatedly ignore requests people have made of me.

There's selfishness and then there's Selfishness. And my neighbors are Truly Selfish.

Or, conversely, they are Ignorant of How To Close a Door. Which is entirely possible, as my sister is Similarly Ignorant. So for those of you who fall into this category, please give the flight attendants your undivided attention for a brief moment:

To close a door, follow these three easy steps:
1. Turn the doorknob
2. Slide the door into a closed position
3. Release the doorknob and walk away.

Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight.