life: Manners and all such humanities...
Okay, here's another source of paranoia for me.
Manners don't seem to exist anymore. I was brought up with them, I was trained by my parents and grandmother and teachers and girl scout leaders that there are certain things you do and do not do when dealing with other human beings. The Golden Rule applies. You be respectful of others, even strangers, or mean people you would rather see go play in traffic. You be helpful and considerate and you do this because that's what makes you a good person. What goes around, comes around, so send around good things. When someone asks you a question, says hello, sends you an email, you reply in some way, even if your only possible response is "Bugger off." because that's the courteous thing to do, even in the age of technology. This is simple stuff, this is my 'common sense' that I naturally expect other people to have a firm grasp on and to choose to employ in their own lives.
But lately... it doesn't happen. My sister actually doesn't LIKE displaying manners. She's forgiven because she's a teenager and rebellion happens and she'll eventually remember that she used to do these things before she turned thirteen. People on the streets do not do these things, though. I, at my job, get constant kudos for customer service because of these things. Because it's so rare I guess that the people I deal with just plain aren't used to it? Maybe it's California? I don't know. I doubt it though.
What's crazy is that it leaves me wondering why I'm not worth the effort of common courtesy to people, be it people on the street or my friends or family. It's like there's some rumor gone around the whole world about me and I'm the only one who hasn't heard it, and it somehow has sent the flag out that I'm - fill in the blank - and therefore not worth giving the time of day to. If there was a memo on this, I'd really like to see it. But that would mean someone, somewhere, would have to reply to my email first....
This realization, of course, brought to you by the nervous twitch I sometimes get that sends me to Gmail every time I click the mouse, for days following the sending of an email. Mostly, the only people who send me a reply are bots and spammers and advertisers. And yet I'm compulsively checking for a return message. For DAYS. Not cool, self. ::sigh::
Manners don't seem to exist anymore. I was brought up with them, I was trained by my parents and grandmother and teachers and girl scout leaders that there are certain things you do and do not do when dealing with other human beings. The Golden Rule applies. You be respectful of others, even strangers, or mean people you would rather see go play in traffic. You be helpful and considerate and you do this because that's what makes you a good person. What goes around, comes around, so send around good things. When someone asks you a question, says hello, sends you an email, you reply in some way, even if your only possible response is "Bugger off." because that's the courteous thing to do, even in the age of technology. This is simple stuff, this is my 'common sense' that I naturally expect other people to have a firm grasp on and to choose to employ in their own lives.
But lately... it doesn't happen. My sister actually doesn't LIKE displaying manners. She's forgiven because she's a teenager and rebellion happens and she'll eventually remember that she used to do these things before she turned thirteen. People on the streets do not do these things, though. I, at my job, get constant kudos for customer service because of these things. Because it's so rare I guess that the people I deal with just plain aren't used to it? Maybe it's California? I don't know. I doubt it though.
What's crazy is that it leaves me wondering why I'm not worth the effort of common courtesy to people, be it people on the street or my friends or family. It's like there's some rumor gone around the whole world about me and I'm the only one who hasn't heard it, and it somehow has sent the flag out that I'm - fill in the blank - and therefore not worth giving the time of day to. If there was a memo on this, I'd really like to see it. But that would mean someone, somewhere, would have to reply to my email first....
This realization, of course, brought to you by the nervous twitch I sometimes get that sends me to Gmail every time I click the mouse, for days following the sending of an email. Mostly, the only people who send me a reply are bots and spammers and advertisers. And yet I'm compulsively checking for a return message. For DAYS. Not cool, self. ::sigh::