WHERE DID ALL THE MANNERS GO?

WHERE DID ALL THE MANNERS GO?


There are certain things that bother me, and I experience them daily. The USA is a melting pot of all backgrounds and nationalities that we all came from. I have noticed that manners are being lost. We cannot and should not blame this situation on being from a different background. Politeness is and should be universal.

In these days of the Internet, Face Book, and other social sites, I believe people are forgetting their social graces and the ability to communicate properly. The young people can no longer talk to each other directly. They text, twitter, or e-mail. This is taking away the art of communication that will be needed even more in future, which is rapidly looking at us in the face.

I do not care where anyone is from. Politeness and good manners should never be forgotten. The following are a few examples of what is bothering me. I am sure you can relate to some of them, and you probably have some of your own that I could relate to.

In the restaurant I have noticed that the words “please and thank you” are not used when the server is taking care of the customers. I make it a point to talk to the servers in order to learn more about them. I am constantly surprised at the caliber of people that are waiting on me. I have been served by students who were in their final year of becoming doctors or lawyers. I had the pleasure of having a real ballerina wait on me in a Chicago restaurant who had to stop dancing due to hurting her ankle and couldn’t dance any more. She had been the star of the show. You and I have been served by married as well as single mothers who have to wait on us to make a better life for their children or to put food on the table. Their stories are endless. The next time you are at the restaurant, do not forget to say “please and thank you”. Do not judge the person by his or her job.

Another item that bothers me is when an elevator, bus or Metro-Link door opens and everyone rushes in, What happened to waiting for the people inside to disembark before you run into them or brush past them?

I hate to see people’s underwear. People who wear their pants low to show off their underwear do not belong in public places. I was at the Red Rock Casino on a Saturday afternoon waiting to be called for a seat to play poker. There was this adult person appearing to be approximately age 25 to 28 years old who was wearing a pair of pants that weren’t either shorts or long pants. This style of pants I have never been able to understand. To make matters worse, he was wearing them so low that his underwear was exposed which was sickening. If I want to see underwear, I can go Wall-Mart and go to the department that sells them. To this group, all I can say is, “Pull up your pants!”

I think there should be classes for people of all ages to attend and learn about manners and etiquette. Obviously, the young people are not being trained in their homes. I realize the schools cannot do it because they do not have budget for it. How about Gyms, the YMCA, and other social platforms that would offer classes for people of all ages to attend free and learn social graces and manners.

We will be falling behind other nations by losing the important art of manners. To me, having good manners reflects in the respect we show others as well as the respect we receive. Let’s not learn the bad habits of others, but rather display as well as learn the good manners of others.
Thank you.