What happened to being a gentleman? What happened to being respectful, of elders, the Law, each other, the fairer sex? What happened to manners and etiquette? These are questions I’ve been asking myself lately when I go to the store or go out to eat at a restaurant. How many men hold the chair for their female dinner guest? Not very many, I can assure you. The last dozen or so times that I’ve held the door for a stranger, male or female, I have not received a thank you. Why? Being kind and considerate used to be common courtesy.
Have we become so self-absorbed and jaded that we have forgotten how to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you?’ I admit that on occasion I fall victim to the MORE ME NOW mentality. When I catch myself I do try to correct that behavior as soon as possible. My domestic CEO has offered to swat my nose with a newspaper when I screw up. But she seems way too eager.
I was raised to treat ladies like ladies. That does not mean being condescending. It does means treating them with respect and perhaps a little reverence. True gentlemen understand that we are outclassed by our feminine counterparts. They are a mystery that we will never understand. Without them, we will never be all that we can be. And for the record ladies, the reverse is also true. Just thought I’d throw that in there to drum up a few comments. 😉
Tales From The Hare 