He gave the clerk, a dour, balding, middle-aged man with a considerable paunch filling out his once white apron, the money for the eCigs. The man gave him his change along with a bored look, \u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson David said, \u201cNo,\u201d and left the little corner market. Man, that guy was real excited about doing business with me. Get the same reaction from most people I run into. Don’t I deserve just a little respect? I am<\/em> a human being.<\/p>\n He made his way down the street, passersby on their lunch breaks moving to and fro. This section of town sure has changed, he thought. Fresh, colorful awnings shade freshly painted storefronts of quaint shops, all color coordinated to blend well with the neighborhood. Small restaurants and walk in pizza and sub shops with tables and chairs out front offer\u00a0a wide variety of culinary delights\u00a0for the\u00a0lunch-breaking business folks.<\/p>\n In addition to the food venues the upscale commercial district also sported a number of esoteric craft and specialty stores. There was a luthier with 3 beautiful handmade guitars displayed in the showcase window. A potter worked at his wheel where anyone on the sidewalk could easily see. There was a curio shop with a large collection of items in the window, each guaranteed to start a conversation.<\/p>\n Well, that’s interesting, he thought when he saw the flash drive nestled among the jade combs, cute paraffin lamps, cascading beads, elegantly framed daguerreotypes, and other sundries that you certainly don’t need in any way but must have regardless. The flash drive had a single word imprinted upon it in caps: RESPECT.<\/p>\n The shopkeeper in \u201cJust Imagine\u2014Unique Curios\u201d was an old woman, frail and bent with age. In spite of her unsteady appearance she had quick, bright and perceptive eyes, which met his as he entered the small shop. \u201cYes?\u201d she queried.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m looking for a little respect,\u201d he said, chuckling at his clever private joke.<\/p>\n \u201cAren’t we all?\u201d she replied. \u201cI presume you’re interested in the RESPECT app in the window.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAn app for what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAny version of smart phone you care to consider,\u201d she said, \u201cany model, any OS, it’s universal.\u201d<\/p>\n That’s pretty interesting in itself, Wilson thought. He said, \u201cSo what does it do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cInstall that app on your phone and, as long as it’s on your person and powered up, you will get great respect from everyone you meet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s ridiculous,\u201d Wilson said, \u201cSmart phone apps are wonderful, helpful little programs; they do everything but brush your teeth, and they’re working on that. But tell me how can something like that make others respect you? It’s not possible.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman grinned, revealing a gold-capped eyetooth. \u201cA lot of things are ‘not possible’ but work anyway,\u201d she said. \u201cBees fly despite it being aerodynamically ‘impossible’ for them, for instance. Try it and see for yourself.\u201d She reached into the showcase, picked up the drive and handed it over to him. \u201cJust plug it in and follow the prompts.\u201d<\/p>\n He did and was presented with a dialog that asked: \u201cPurchase\u201d or \u201cTrial.\u201d \u201cChoose ‘Trial,’\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Wilson tapped the Trial choice and the install screen disappeared. In the lower right hand corner two little progress bars came up, one, colored in, had a legend that said \u201c10 minutes, the other was empty and had \u201cLifetime\u201d above it. Other than that, nothing happened. \u201cSo,\u201d he said, looking closely at the device. \u201cIs it working?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt certainly is. Take it for a stroll,\u201d she said with a surprisingly graceful wave toward the door.<\/p>\n He gave a little shrug, \u201cOkay,\u201d he said and went out onto the street.<\/p>\n It was great! Everyone he passed on the street looked at him with a smile, moved aside so he could pass undisturbed, and, in general, treated him with great consideration. His lips tightened, the corners pulling down, as he evaluated the experience. I can get used to this, he thought.<\/p>\n He checked the phone. The time bar was diminishing and a little color appeared in the empty Lifetime bar. I’ll have to ask her what that means.<\/p>\n Let’s see something, he thought. He went back to the convenience store. The clerk got up from his seat behind the counter immediately. \u201cHow can I help you, sir?\u201d he asked with deferential concern.<\/p>\n \u201cGive me a cherry slushy,\u201d Wilson said.<\/p>\n The clerk arched an eyebrow, \u201cSlushies are at the self serve bar over there, people help themselves.\u201d The man straightened his apron. \u201cBut for you, sir, I’d be honored if you’d let me get it for you.\u201d He emerged from behind his counter, got the slushy, returned, and passed Wilson his beverage. \u201cOn the house,\u201d the clerk said.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the house?\u201d Wilson couldn’t believe it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, of course,\u201d the clerk said, \u201cfor you\u2014on the house!\u201d<\/p>\n Wilson left the store sucking on his free cherry slushy. He got the phone out and saw his trial period was just about up so he headed back to the curio shop. The old woman was fanning herself with one of those Asian folding paper fans.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, I really like this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n With an impish smile the old woman nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cOne thing, though,\u201d he said as he placed his phone on the counter before the woman. \u201cThe time bar I understand but what’s this \u201cLifetime\u201d bar mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, that,\u201d she said, \u201cthat’s how much of your lifetime you lose if you get respect you don’t deserve.\u201d She looked at the phone. \u201cHmm, looks like you lost a couple of days.\u201d<\/p>\n Horrified, he said, \u201cyou mean I’ve lost days of my life for that ten minute trial?\u201d<\/p>\n She fixed him with her sharp eyes. \u201cYou know, of course, that the only real way to get respect is to earn<\/i> it, right?\u201d she asked him pointedly. \u201cIf you don’t earn it you must pay for it somehow, don’t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n Guess she’s right, he thought. And, now that he was thinking about it, he couldn’t think of too much he’d done in life that deserved respect. High school dropout, father to two children who knows where, no military or community service of any kind . . . a lackluster life to say the least. He wasn’t pleased with his evaluation. I am<\/i> better than that.<\/p>\n Still, those people pretty well fell over themselves trying to kiss his ass. A long life earning respect or a shorter one getting it undeserved? Getting it undeserved . . . He cocked his head and stood there thinking for a long moment. The old woman waved her fan.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know,\u201d he finally said, \u201cI think I feel better about getting respect I deserve. You can keep the app.\u201d<\/p>\n The old woman nodded with a knowing smile and said, \u201cI’m not surprised. Many people have tried it, just like you. Not one person bought it.\u201d<\/p>\n Wilson looked at his phone again, the app was gone. \u201cI think I’ll go find something respectable to do,\u201d he said as he left the shop.<\/p>\n The old woman waved her fan, \u201cthought so,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" He gave the clerk, a dour, balding, middle-aged man with a considerable paunch filling out his once white apron, the money for the eCigs. The man gave him his change along with a bored look, \u201cAnything else?\u201d Wilson David said, \u201cNo,\u201d and left the little corner market. Man, that guy was real excited about doing … Continue reading Just a Little Respect<\/span>