What has Happened to our Society?

Do you remember (and I know these days you have to go deep into your memories for this) when such a thing as manners existed? People are so busy with their own lives they no longer consider others in their small sphere of existence. Yes I am even pointing a finger to myself. I always try to open doors for others, I try to remember to open the car door for my wife and please and thank you are usually my response for a kindness rendered but I hear those words less and less from our younger generations. Could it be that children are no longer being taught that valuable lesson in the privacy of their homes? Even now I will ask my wife for something or to do something and she has to remind me to “put a handle on it” which was the code of our parents to say please.

Manners are disarming. The next time you are at a restaurant and a female or even a male approaches a door you are near, try opening the door for them and see what their response will be. They will nine times out of ten say thank you (long lost programmed response from our childhood) and smile at you. This works equally well if you bump into someone and respond with an “excuse me”. You catch them off guard and they most always reply with a “no problem” even though you might have really just ticked them off (especially if they just spilled that $4.00 Starbucks Latte thanks to Mr. or Mrs. Clumsy).

I have thought of purchasing a pair of those Dr Shoals shoe inserts to see if it eases my anger the next time I get into a Wal-Mart 20 items or less Express line and there is a possible (or probable)illegal alien in front of me with 65 items and a hand full of government vouchers. Yeah I know that was too long a sentence teachers but it had to be said in one breath. That happened to me last week at our nearby Wally World. This young lady had a toddler in the basket and an eight and a half month bun in the oven. She was purchasing five gallons of milk, eight boxes of cereal and numerous other food items that could feed a small army. More than likely, there was a small army in her dwelling. Funny thing is, she didn’t appear to speak English when the cashier mentioned the larger than 20 number of items at this checkout but she was able to read (yes nosey me read them over her shoulder) the government WIC vouchers listing on the food items she had in the basket. Naturally this transaction called for management to help sort things out and about fifteen minutes on the clock. Ok… I’m rolling from manners to venting… sorry about that.

Another long lost pleasantry is the greeting. Good morning or good afternoon were always used in our childhoods when approaching a stranger on the street or sidewalk. Try even a “have a nice day” as corny as it may sound when leaving a restaurant or grocery store. Again it will disarm people and they will fire off an automatic smile. Of course there are times when those words can be used to take a dig into someone’s side as well. “Thank you for the ticket officer, you have a nice day” probably didn’t mean what you said because under your breath as he walked back toward his cruiser more than likely follow the word “jerk”. Of course after ten minutes or less riding down the road you realized you really where doing 78 in that 35 zone and deserved that ticket and it was YOU who were the jerk.(no I didnt get a ticket so don't ask)

Here is my last rambling for the day. We don’t thank people nearly enough for what they do for us. Now I am preaching to the choir here as well. The next time you are at a restaurant or anything where a service was performed well, acknowledge it. Say to the server something like “Hey I really appreciate your great service you gave me today” and even tell a manager. It costs you nothing and we certainly don’t hesitate to tell a manager when something was done wrong.

One final note and this one is the most important; when you see ANY servicemen or servicewomen anywhere, thank them for serving. They don’t have to be there. Our military is an all volunteer service and no one was drafted. They are there because they want to be there protecting their country. If you see an old veteran (and they usually wear a hat or pin or something out of pride of their country) thank them for serving and sacrificing. The general public has no idea what they sacrificed for our freedoms.

Well I said I was finished but I have to tell you one small story. My next door neighbor’s wife always seemed a little off. I thought she was a little mentally retarded but I never knew for sure. I did know he was a veteran but had no idea she was. I learned a few weeks back from her husband that she sacrificed far more than anyone around here knows. She was a field hospital nurse in the Vietnam War and saw far too many young men enter in pieces. In 1969 when her enlistment was over, she came home broken and was never able to function normally in society again. While it is true she is still alive, she sacrificed her mind for those boys. Remember to thank a vet guys, it’s the VERY LEAST we can do. Have a great day.