Manners... Where are You?

Sadly, along with the grammar and spelling, manners have also passed away. Gone are the days of "yes ma'am" and "No sir". Children and adults alike no longer speak respectfully to anyone. It is sickening to hear how children speak to teachers at school. But, when parents come in for conferences, the children speak to them the same way. I will not forget a young lady on the phone with her father asking him, "Can I talk now?" I was flummoxed because I knew that, even at my age, my daddy would've driven to wherever I was and smacked me in the mouth, as well he should. I told her as much when she got off the phone, and she shrugged it off like it was nothing.
What happened to manners? How did they die? Why did they die? Once again, this death has made people look exactly like what they are. When I do see the random child who answers me with a "ma'am", it does my little heart good. They are few and far between, mind you, but there are a few parents/grandparents/guardians out there who are still demanding respect from children. My grandmother had a funny way of doing it. She would call me, and I would say, "What?" She called my name over and over again until I finally said, "Ma'am?" Some days (most days actually), I would say "what" just to see how long she would persist. She is a persistent one, that Kat! However, you tend to appreciate those kinds of things and being made to behave that way and respond that way when you see how the other side looks.
On the adult side of this equation, look how we speak to each other. Slang has taken over every day life. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a slang-er too, all the way. BUT, there is a time and place for everything. Job interviews/parent conferences/important conversations are not the place for slang. Not only does it make you look like an ignorant buffoon, it lessens the value of the conversation. When you are with your friends, speak how you wish. When you are in public, representing yourself and your family, speak with some sense. I'm sure there is some WAYYYY down in there that you can dredge up.
Let's go back to demanding respect from people. Let's go back to treating everyone with respect. Americans don't even speak of the President with respect. We don't respect the privacy of celebrities or anyone else, for that matter. We don't have the common decency to make our children be quiet in church/movies/restaurants/etc. (As an aside here, look how some parents speak to their children in public. I am appalled sometimes by the things parents say to their kids, loudly, in grocery stores or Target--my frequent haunts. What in the world do you expect from them if that's what you are doing?) We don't treat the elderly any better than we would a stray dog. (That's going to be us, one day, you know? We are going to want our families to still love us and come see us and all that, even though we may not remember who they are.)
It's time to resuscitate manners--they need to rise up and make a strong come back. Parents, teach your children how to be respectful; it's not an antiquated concept. Teach your children how to say "Thank you" and MEAN IT! Teach them how to say "You're welcome", "Good morning", "Have a nice day". It takes half a second to say these things, but they make lasting impressions on people. The world will be a better place for it!
Let's go back to demanding respect from everyone. Food for thought...