Mark Twain said, “If you don’t read the newspaper, you are unimformed; If you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed.”
I not only read the newspaper, I listen and watch the news on different channels and very often, I am really confused.

Recently, it seems a flight attendant lost control and exited his position in an inappropriate manner. Would SWAT (Stop, Walk and Talk) have been the proper thing to do? What kind of stress or series of events would cause a person to risk not only his own but others’ safety and throw caution to the wind? What might the passenger have said or done, or was it a series of incidents that may have “lit the fuse”?

Is it ever justified to be rude, demanding or insulting toward people you are paid to serve or who are paid to serve you? Should anger management classes be part of the required curriculum in schools and job training? What about the responsibility of every individual to be courteous, patient and kind to each other? What makes some people believe they have a right to demand instant attention without regard to the needs of others? Can we expect consideration and respect if we do not respect everyone else?

Is the Golden Rule outdated? Do we really treat others like we would like to be treated? If not, why not? Perhaps because we are “stressed out”, “burnt out”, not enough sleep. There are certainly enough reasons for feeling tense and frustrated, but there are also methods available to prevent unpleasant outbursts and violent reactions. The simplest is “SWAT” (Stop, Walk and Talk). Remember the “Count to 10″ before responding allows an opportunity to regain some self-control and then, if possible, take a walk to another area, around the building (move away from the situation). In other words, take time to analyze the situation, perhaps get a different perspective. Is it possible that you were the problem, expecting perfection from everyone else, not realizing that you may never be perfect, either? Last, but not least, set up a time to talk……Stop, Walk and Talk