With all that’s going on in the country, it seems like we’ve forgotten some basic things we were taught as a kid. What happened to common courtesy? I miss it!
So the other day, I’m on the phone with this catalogue company (I had a question about sizing, but that’s another blog). I pressed 2 and 1 and they launch into the usual spiel. “You’re a valuable customer, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah . . . The next available representative will be with you in a moment.”
And I say, “Thank you!” It’s a recording, for God’s sake!
I continue listening to a touching rendition of “Yesterday,” when I hear, “Your call is important to us. Thank you for waiting.”
“You’re welcome!” I reply. Seriously?
It’s a reflex, like blinking or breathing. See, good manners were drilled into me by my parents. There’s no getting around it, not that I’d want to. Being polite is a good thing, and has served me well over the years.
It was hard getting the hang of it at first, though. In our house, you had to say “please,” “thank you,” and “you’re welcome.” End of story. There was none of this, “Now what do you say?” kind of thing. My parents had their own method for showing my sister, Irene, and me how it’s done.
“Pass the potatoes,” I’d say at the dinner table, and my parents would act like they didn’t hear me.
“Pass the potatoes,” I’d repeat, a little louder. Still no response.
“Dad, pass the potatoes!”
Silence.
Then the penny drops.
“Please?”
“Here you go, Sweetie,” Dad says, passing the potatoes.
“Thank you!” You had to follow up with that, or the potatoes disappeared to the other side of the table again.
“You’re welcome.”
Charlie was raised the same way. Oh, he was always polite, holding the door open for me, like a gentleman. Still does.
To this day, we say please and thank you to each other, not just for the big things, but for the smallest things, too.
“Thanks for mowing the lawn, Charlie.”
“Ida, please pass me that delightful little gnome salt shaker you got on your last shopping trip with the girls.” (Well, I embellished that one a little, but you get the idea.)
Saying please and thank you is a sign of respect, which, in my opinion, is one of the most important things in a relationship. It lets your mate know you see all he or she is doing and appreciate it. Try adding please, thank you, and appreciation to your next to-do list, and see what happens.
This doesn’t just apply to marriage, folks. It applies to life. And it’s bipartisan.
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
Hear Ida Tell It: Common Courtesy