I WROTE THIS QUITE A WHILE BACK, BUT CAN'T REMEMBER IF I EVER RAN IT. IT STILL PERTAINS, SO IF I ALREADY RAN IT I APOLOGIZE.
"The
cardinal principle of etiquette is thoughtfulness, and the guiding rule
of thoughtfulness is the Golden Rule. If you always do unto others as
you would have done unto you, it is likely that you will never offend,
bore or intrude, and that your actions will be courteous and indeed
thoughtful." ~Emily Post
"Parents who insist that their children practice courtesy and good habits at home are doing them a great service, for these habits then become lifelong and the natural way to do things. It is then unlikely that they will ever embarrass themselves socially or in business, for their unconscious actions will reflect a well mannered person." ~Emily Post
"Parents who insist that their children practice courtesy and good habits at home are doing them a great service, for these habits then become lifelong and the natural way to do things. It is then unlikely that they will ever embarrass themselves socially or in business, for their unconscious actions will reflect a well mannered person." ~Emily Post
Need
I say more? Evidently yes based on what I see in everyday life. Just
this past weekend, I observed at least a dozen occasions where this was
NOT being practiced. When I was young I was taught to say please, thank
you, I'm sorry, excuse me and a variety of other niceties that tend to
make life more pleasant as well as show respect for my elders.
Though
the reasons for many things have changed, the act of doing them has
not. For example, in Victorian days a man escorting a woman on the
street would walk on the street or curb side of the woman to keep her
from being splashed by mud. These days, a man still does it, but now
more for safety.
Social
amenities are still in fashion despite women not being the frail
creatures once thought. I know feminists everywhere will hate me, but I
LIKE when my husband opens the door for me, stands when I leave the
table at a nice restaurant, takes his hat off indoors or walks on the
street side. After all these years we have developed an instinct for
being courteous to each other.
As
a society we have wandered away from many day to day courtesies. We as
parents have the responsibility to create the adults of tomorrow and
that training begins at home. That is pure fact. I recently overheard a
couple of moms out having lunch complaining about how their kids were
not learning manners at school or in daycare. HELLO? Once again many
feminists world wide will be upset with me, but I truly blame some of
this on the parents. It is not up to the schools or daycare to teach
the children manners. My highest respect is for the stay at home moms
as they have the hardest job in the world. Many common courtesies are
no longer practiced by many families and/or enforced by parents, but
that stay at home mom is going to expect certain levels of courtesy and be available to see the beginning of bad habits forming.
One
of the examples of the need for everyday manners is on public
transportation. Awhile back I was on a subway when a young mother
carrying a baby got on as did an elderly gentleman with a cane. The car
was full and not one man or teenager got up and offered their seat to
either of them. I was embarrassed for us as a society!
There are some personal habits that should be addressed, but based on today's casual acceptance I will only mention and then leave the interpretation to the reader: men removing hats indoors, slouching/posture in general, elbows on the table while eating, chewing with your mouth closed, belching/burping in public, women in dresses sitting in a ladylike manner, disposing of your gum appropriately, smoking in public, being a good neighbor, personal space/crowding and the list goes on and on.
There are some personal habits that should be addressed, but based on today's casual acceptance I will only mention and then leave the interpretation to the reader: men removing hats indoors, slouching/posture in general, elbows on the table while eating, chewing with your mouth closed, belching/burping in public, women in dresses sitting in a ladylike manner, disposing of your gum appropriately, smoking in public, being a good neighbor, personal space/crowding and the list goes on and on.
I
have seen many well behaved children and truly appreciate the effort
their parents put into their training. I just get so disappointed that
so many other parents are readily allowing
less than acceptable in their lives as well as their children's. The ME
generation does NOT have to be here to stay. Hubby and I went out for a
nice leisurely afternoon lunch today at a little restaurant we like to
frequent. It is very quaint and scenic. Halfway through our lunch a
young family came in (the kids were about 2 and 5). Mom and dad sat at
the bar and ordered a drink leaving the kids to wander. HELLO?? The 2
year old wanted something the 5 year old had and when she didn't get it
started a tantrum that the parents were ignoring and the rest of us were
enduring. NO ONE said anything! I was beside myself. Normally I
would have been pissed, but not said anything. Today was not normal -
I had a splitting headache and was just beginning to relax when this all
occurred. I calmly walked over to the parents and asked if they
wouldn't mind taking the little girl outside to calm her down. They
were quite insulted by MY nerve as they put it. I told them I was
insulted by their nerve. They were clueless!! I actually had to spell
it out for them that while everyone was trying to endure their little
girl's tantrum, it was not our responsibility to do so. We were all out
spending our hard earned money on a relaxing day which did not include
providing daycare for them as their children ran around unsupervised.
While
there are even more situations we could address because our entire life
is full of them (strangers, prejudice, those with handicaps, unexpected
visitors, hospitals, church services, etc... the ultimate rule of thumb
is and always will be the Golden Rule for ALL situations.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for stopping by. Please leave your ingredients for this recipe we call life!