Miss Manners

My momma raised me to have manners. Dictionary.com defines manners as “the prevailing customs, ways of living, and habits of a people, class, period, etc.; mores.” The longer I live, the longer I have realize that we don’t really teach or require manners in our current society.

Growing up, I couldn’t leave the house without my mom saying, “Remember your pleases and thank yous!” By the time I was eighteen, I had heard this phrase so often that I would recite it along with her. It was her mantra for her children and it has become my mantra through life.

When I leave a voice mail, respond to an email, or am engaged in general conversation, I use “please” and “thank you” as often as I can and when appropriate. I know that with overuse, they become ineffective. However, I’ve discovered that some people do not have these words in their vocabulary.

For example, this morning while riding the bus into work, a gruff looking man switched seats by saying to an equally gruff looking woman, “Move over!” My first thought was, “I hope they know each other.” Apparently, as they exited the bus together, they did know each other; but the fact remains, there was neither a please nor a thank you in his imperative statement. On a somewhat crowded bus, this stands out.

People. They make me scratch my head and wonder.