Ahwatukee Foothills Newspaper
September 22, 2008
Somewhere along the way, we seemed to have forgotten about our manners. Some people say they were never brought up on manners and that is why they do not enforce them. Others say they simply do not have time for manners.
Wait. How do you not have time for manners? It takes only a quick second to smile at a complete stranger; hold the door open for the person behind you or even write a quick thank you note to someone who expressed kindness towards you. Everyone has time for manners if they would actually care to take the time to have manners.
A long time ago, it was a no-brainer to send someone a thank you note for a nice dinner that was served to them, a generous and thoughtful gift that someone gave to them, or for just being a friend that listened. Nowadays, everyone claims that they simply do not have time to write a thank you note.
If you think about it, does it really take that long to write a thank you note? You write thank you and maybe two more sentences, sign your name, address and seal the envelope, stamp it and it's off. I bet it will take you no more than five minutes to write one, if that. I understand we are all busy these days with family, work, school, activities, etc., but isn't five minutes worth more than your five-minute wait at the local coffee shop, if it brightens someone else's day or lets them know someone out there really appreciates them as a person?
Manners are very simple to incorporate in our everyday, fast-paced, overwhelming lives. For example, when you walk by someone at the grocery store, just looking at the person and saying "hi" is not going to mess up your schedule. You have no idea that something so small to you could mean so much to that person. They could be having hard times and be struggling with finances, health or family issues, and when you took the time to look up at them and just say "hi," that may not be able to make their problems go away, but it may possibly give them a little hope of a better tomorrow. It's the little things that we can do that can add up to the big things.
Right now, everybody is struggling in some way or another either with family, work, finances, school, health ... the list goes on. We focus too much on what we don't have or what we are struggling with, and totally neglect what we do have. We may be tight on finances or in a little debt, but we are blessed with people. Blessed for our families, our friends, our neighbors ... we should be thankful for what we have and stop spending so much time on what we don't have. All the time we are spending on what we don't have, we are missing out on what's right in front of us that we do have.
Life is short - enjoy the people you care about and that are around you, for one day they may not always be there. For the people you don't know, meet them. Start new friendships, help neighbors out, show gratitude towards another human being, respect one another. Live your life to the fullest and share your life with all the great people around you.
Every human being has a responsibility to have manners. If you were never taught manners, then go research them or learn about them. If you have weaknesses in certain areas of your moral compass then work on improving them. Don't just go on throughout life making excuses for your actions, claiming it was because you were never taught manners - how to treat others kindly, respectfully or graciously.
It is time to bring the manners back! They have been gone for too long. If you lack them, then go get them.
September 22, 2008
Somewhere along the way, we seemed to have forgotten about our manners. Some people say they were never brought up on manners and that is why they do not enforce them. Others say they simply do not have time for manners.
Wait. How do you not have time for manners? It takes only a quick second to smile at a complete stranger; hold the door open for the person behind you or even write a quick thank you note to someone who expressed kindness towards you. Everyone has time for manners if they would actually care to take the time to have manners.
A long time ago, it was a no-brainer to send someone a thank you note for a nice dinner that was served to them, a generous and thoughtful gift that someone gave to them, or for just being a friend that listened. Nowadays, everyone claims that they simply do not have time to write a thank you note.
If you think about it, does it really take that long to write a thank you note? You write thank you and maybe two more sentences, sign your name, address and seal the envelope, stamp it and it's off. I bet it will take you no more than five minutes to write one, if that. I understand we are all busy these days with family, work, school, activities, etc., but isn't five minutes worth more than your five-minute wait at the local coffee shop, if it brightens someone else's day or lets them know someone out there really appreciates them as a person?
Manners are very simple to incorporate in our everyday, fast-paced, overwhelming lives. For example, when you walk by someone at the grocery store, just looking at the person and saying "hi" is not going to mess up your schedule. You have no idea that something so small to you could mean so much to that person. They could be having hard times and be struggling with finances, health or family issues, and when you took the time to look up at them and just say "hi," that may not be able to make their problems go away, but it may possibly give them a little hope of a better tomorrow. It's the little things that we can do that can add up to the big things.
Right now, everybody is struggling in some way or another either with family, work, finances, school, health ... the list goes on. We focus too much on what we don't have or what we are struggling with, and totally neglect what we do have. We may be tight on finances or in a little debt, but we are blessed with people. Blessed for our families, our friends, our neighbors ... we should be thankful for what we have and stop spending so much time on what we don't have. All the time we are spending on what we don't have, we are missing out on what's right in front of us that we do have.
Life is short - enjoy the people you care about and that are around you, for one day they may not always be there. For the people you don't know, meet them. Start new friendships, help neighbors out, show gratitude towards another human being, respect one another. Live your life to the fullest and share your life with all the great people around you.
Every human being has a responsibility to have manners. If you were never taught manners, then go research them or learn about them. If you have weaknesses in certain areas of your moral compass then work on improving them. Don't just go on throughout life making excuses for your actions, claiming it was because you were never taught manners - how to treat others kindly, respectfully or graciously.
It is time to bring the manners back! They have been gone for too long. If you lack them, then go get them.
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