“Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” Coach John Wooden

You can learn a lot by watching someone with a shopping cart.

There’s no real consequences for not putting your shopping cart away. There’s no reward or even encouragement to return it to its corral. It’s a choice. And that choice speaks volumes about the person making it.

After all, the shopping cart is a perfect example of someone willing to do the right thing when faced with the choice.

You can push the cart out of the way, put it in the next parking space, leave it where it is, and so on. There’s no shopping cart laws or parking lot ticket writers for those that do those things. There’s no jail time or punishment. There’s nothing detrimental that will happen to you if you leave your cart, right? You’re causing an inconvenience to the next person coming along most likely, maybe putting a car at risk of damage for a loose cart rolling…but other than that, what really is going to happen to you? Some people even justify that they are providing job security of the cart collectors (but we know that’s just their justification, as the job is still secure by bringing the carts from the corral to the store front. Anyway…)

The shopping cart is a perfect example of self respect, respect for society, and self governing. There’s no true incentive to return your shopping cart, however, most see it as just the right thing to do. Stores have created mid point drop offs to encourage it, instead of having to return it to the store front. Returning the shopping cart is just the right thing to do. So why do so many struggle with such a seemingly simple task?

How you treat your shopping cart is how you feel about your neighbors. You know your neighbors are frequenting the same store; would you inconvenience them by leaving something of yours in their driveway? Then why not return the shopping cart you just used instead of taking up prime real estate of a parking spot? Do you feel your time is more valuable than another persons? Someone has to deal with your cart eventually. After all, a steel cart on wheels works with momentum, so why risk issuing damage to another persons property? Pushing the cart into a curb and still blocking another space while perhaps causing damage to said cart doesn’t help either. If you’re that committed, why not refocus your energy to good as opposed to evil?

To you it may be just a shopping cart. To me (and many others) it’s a reflection of your character.

Are you doing the right thing even when (you think that) no one is watching?

**Update. two days after writing this blog, my car was hit by a shopping cart causing damage to the side view mirror and drivers side door. Karma? No way. Confirmation. You bet. This could have been totally avoidable if people chose to do the right thing, every time.