Which, incidentally, seem to have vaporized in our current society, along with too many other attributes that contribute to a civilized society.
And I've been around long enough to be able to say that with some authority, having come of age in the last two semi-sane decades of the previous century ~ the 'Fabulous Fifties' (fabulous for fair-complexioned people, not so hot for those who weren't) and the psychedelic head-on collision my generation had with the turbulent second half of the Sixties, when rhyme and reason went out the window, along with everything our parents ever taught us (well, some of us.)
To list the egregious lack of specific manners these days would be time-consuming and superfluous since we are all subjected to at least one (if not ten) of them on a daily basis. From the hideous 'voice mail' invasion of the corporate world* to rarely, if ever hearing "excuse me" when someone body slams you because they're engrossed in their own little robot worlds of technology-on-the-go.
One day, I was lugging home 4 or 5 bags of groceries, and obviously struggling to make it to the entrance of my building. Out of nowhere, a very professional, 'businesslike' woman swept past me, allowing the door to slam in my face. As I made my way in, with a laser-beam dirty look and icy sarcasm in my voice, I said "Thank you..." Her response? "Oh, I didn't even see you." Excuse me, but am I invisible??
Call me old-fashioned, I care not. I still say a sincere smile and good manners go a very long way in keeping us civilized.
Not much for a whole lot of return on your investment!
