Anyways, Some recent events have made me have this thought about the notion of etiquette and the weight that they carry. Granted, I work in a school with almost 2,000 high school student so etiquette is merely an word and manners, well those are an anomaly. But I ask, when did manners fall to the wayside?
I will fess up, I do not have perfect table manners by any stretch of the imagination. My elbows can sometimes be found on the table (other than when I am at that Prime Time Cafe at Hollywood Studios in Disney; a quaint little 50's diner that is completely retro - if you haven't been take a look here for more) but I have a pretty good understanding of how one should compose themselves when in public dining or even just in professional and casual situations. The epidemic of inadequate, lousy or unaccounted for manners is multiplying at a lightening fast rate. This wide-spread lack of manners is not only centered around today's youth but around the adults in society. We have become a society that is NOW! No excuse me, No holding doors. It is a "every man and woman for themselves" mentality.
However, is this now, Now, NOW mentality to blame for the lack of etiquette or manners? Or can people just not be bothered with the pleasantries anymore? Yes, there are times I am only polite because I was taught to be. Are there times I want to be a rude bitch because I feel like the person (Hello 16 year old hostess at restaurant, roll your eyes at me one more time..) deserves what they are dishing? Of course, but for the most part I have to keep the cray cray on the low because bottom line, I was just taught to act better than that.
So in the lunchroom, I make the kids say "May I please have a library pass" rather than "Library pass?". I catch flack from my colleagues because "it is really not a big deal". I beg to differ. These are high school students, they should (and probably do) know better. But when I afford them the opportunity to not even be pleasant or address me at all (I don't answer to Ms. either) I am feel that I am doing them a complete injustice by perpetuating this half-ass acceptance of their non existent manners. What is comical, the kids at first got very huffy about it, "Well then I just won't go to the library!!" and they would stop away (high schoolers, mind you). Well please don't hurt my feelings! I didn't bend, even though several people I work with wanted me to as I was clearly discouraging reading. I stood firm, they are not going to the library to read - they are going to text or play some game on the computer. Nowadays you can find my high schoolers in a straight line, asking the correct way for a pass to the media center and even saying Thank you! I even get asked how I am doing while I am shuffling through the library passes! So they can speak, address whomever they are around, AND use manners. I win!
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