Where did you go, Emily Post????
After the last few days of total incivility being bounced off the airwaves 24-7, I am fed up with rudeness of our society. Seriously, an elected official heckles the President of the United States in the House of Representatives? Then refuses to publicly apologize??
Serena threatened to put tennis balls where the sun don't shine? And who knows what Kanye West was up to?????
So really .......... why am I surprised?
We talk about rude behavior of our teens. We talk about an isolated society where we don't know our neighbors. But the trouble is .............. we talk. Or worse......... we yell.
My winter-time persona is that of a lowly cashier at a small retail store. Yep ..... not many opportunities much lower than that. And often .... I am treated as such.
I am pretty up-beat, smile, laugh and say "hello!" 90% of the time, when a customer walks in the store .............. they are on the phone. And I am interrupting their call .... by saying "hello!"
That used to be a customer-friendly thing to do. Now .... I am rude because I say "hello!"
I have stood at the register, waiting for a customer to finish their call so that I may really do my job. And be friendly. I have been told to go ahead cuz they are in a hurry. Yet.... when I ask to see an ID or ask a question, I am rude for interrupting their call.
We are so busy talking ...... we don't see what is around us. We are so busy talking .... we don't see who is around us.
I am a country girl ..... and country girls wave. Not Miss-America-twist-at-the-wrist wave. But a good old-fashioned Gosh-It's-Nice-to-See-You-wave. With a smile! Ya gotta smile!!
But now .... even my neighborhood is losing its wave ........ cuz everyone is talking. Kind of hard to wave .... when one hand is plastered against the ear.
We have the right to Freedom of Speech. As you can tell (if you have ever read this blog), I'm kind of fond of it. But we really need to be observing the Right to Listen. The Obligation to Smile. The Need to be Cordial.
Put down the phone. Go talk to your neighbor. Say hello to a stranger in the street. And smile.
And maybe ... just maybe .... one random act of kindness may stop this epidemic of rudeness the media delights in displaying.
In the 60's, young girls were taught when to use a seafood fork instead of a fish fork. And Ada Gaffney Shaff taught me to cross my legs at my ankles, not my knees. I wore my sparkling white gloves with my purse that matched my shoes. And I could walk up and down stairs with oh-so-straight posture by balancing a stack of books on my head.
We were polite. We were courteous. We were friendly.
I think it is time for a refresher course.
Serena threatened to put tennis balls where the sun don't shine? And who knows what Kanye West was up to?????
So really .......... why am I surprised?
We talk about rude behavior of our teens. We talk about an isolated society where we don't know our neighbors. But the trouble is .............. we talk. Or worse......... we yell.
My winter-time persona is that of a lowly cashier at a small retail store. Yep ..... not many opportunities much lower than that. And often .... I am treated as such.
I am pretty up-beat, smile, laugh and say "hello!" 90% of the time, when a customer walks in the store .............. they are on the phone. And I am interrupting their call .... by saying "hello!"
That used to be a customer-friendly thing to do. Now .... I am rude because I say "hello!"
I have stood at the register, waiting for a customer to finish their call so that I may really do my job. And be friendly. I have been told to go ahead cuz they are in a hurry. Yet.... when I ask to see an ID or ask a question, I am rude for interrupting their call.
We are so busy talking ...... we don't see what is around us. We are so busy talking .... we don't see who is around us.
I am a country girl ..... and country girls wave. Not Miss-America-twist-at-the-wrist wave. But a good old-fashioned Gosh-It's-Nice-to-See-You-wave. With a smile! Ya gotta smile!!
But now .... even my neighborhood is losing its wave ........ cuz everyone is talking. Kind of hard to wave .... when one hand is plastered against the ear.
We have the right to Freedom of Speech. As you can tell (if you have ever read this blog), I'm kind of fond of it. But we really need to be observing the Right to Listen. The Obligation to Smile. The Need to be Cordial.
Put down the phone. Go talk to your neighbor. Say hello to a stranger in the street. And smile.
And maybe ... just maybe .... one random act of kindness may stop this epidemic of rudeness the media delights in displaying.
In the 60's, young girls were taught when to use a seafood fork instead of a fish fork. And Ada Gaffney Shaff taught me to cross my legs at my ankles, not my knees. I wore my sparkling white gloves with my purse that matched my shoes. And I could walk up and down stairs with oh-so-straight posture by balancing a stack of books on my head.
We were polite. We were courteous. We were friendly.
I think it is time for a refresher course.
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