Manners

Good manners are the mark of royalty, that’s what I was told as a child. I was instilled with proper etiquettes — how to sit, how to walk, and most important how to behave. Sadly that’s no longer the case with most people I come across. Rude behavior appalls me, and I’m left thinking something must be very wrong with me if every time I take it to heart someone’s rude behavior.

Most of the time, I try to overlook as in the case of youngsters. I blame it on their thoughtlessness, but what about the older generation? Common courtesies are not followed, as standing when a lady enters a room, or greeting her first. It may seem trifling, but my late husband was a true gentleman in his behavior. Secretly I used to be irked when I would see other men not behaving the same way.

Back home youngsters are told to greet their elders first when they see them, even if they don’t know them. Here they don’t say a word. They behave as they are not in the room. I’ve grown immune, and I behave the same way as if I don’t see them.

None to Blame

When my late husband R’s  parents were alive, we took his yearly break to spend time with them. Meal times was a source of constant embarrassment for me. Our young children would need to go to the loo. Grandma didn’t like it. She blamed me for their indiscretions. You can’t tell toddlers that this wasn’t the time to announce what they needed to do when everybody was sitting having dinner. 

R had drilled it into me from day one of marriage, that no one was to blame except me if the children didn’t turn out alright. I was on tenterhooks about their grades, and manners, while the children were growing up. To make matters worse, I was sole parent most of the times. I had to be forever vigilant about everything. 

During once a year visits, daughter blames me when her kids throw a tantrum. “Mama, what kind of grand children have you produced?”

Tell me what did I do?

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DAILY PROMPT

None

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Manners

Daily Prompt: City Planners
If you could clone one element from another city you’ve visited — a building, a cultural institution, a common street food etc — and bring it to your home town, what would it be?

The one thing I would like to bring back would be manners. There is definitely a lack of manners.

I stayed in Troy, NY, for three months. That was way back. Maybe the people there have changed too.

I do find people here lacking in manners.

If you were going after some person right into the building, the one ahead of you, would hold the door open for you, and let you pass. Nobody does it here.

Another thing is, if you are the one holding the door, the person you let through doesn’t say, thank you. He or she thinks, you are the official doorman, or something like that. Maybe the person thinks, he or she is a royalty.

Total strangers would give you a smile, if accidentally your eyes met. Sorry, there is no smile here. If you smile at them, in return you get a stare which effectively freezes you. Maybe they have Botox in their cheeks, they can’t smile.

People have started littering. On walks I see things thrown on the grass, or near a shrub. That is so annoying.

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Manners