"Common Courtesy'

Hello, Hola, Bonjour, Hallo, こんにちは, Здравствуйте,

     In the travels that I have had the opportunity to make, I have always felt it important to at least know a few words in the language of the country that I am going to. The words that I feel that are the most important are, hello, good-bye, please, and thank you. These words indicate what some would call common courtesy. Yet, I feel we are now living in a time where we could remove the word “common” from that phrase. It seems that courtesy is becoming more and more uncommon. As a young man my mother was good friends with an elderly woman who for many years had taught in what we would refer to today as a charm school for young ladies. The type of school where young girls of the day were taught the proper etiquette of being a lady. The proper dances, table manners, how to conduct one’s self in public, you know how to be a courteous and proper. I remember her telling me once, “A proper young lady should never be seen chewing gum outside of her boudoir.” Being polite I did not argue but just shook my head in agreement.  Mostly because I had no idea what a boudoir was and I knew I had never seen a girl’s boudoir. Times have changed and those wild women chew gum just about anywhere now days. Though where a young lady chews her gum does not bother me, the exception being when she chews like a cow chewing cud, what does bother me is that courtesy seems to be going the way of the kerosene lamp. Those that are familiar with it use it very little and then only in the case of an emergency, while others seem to have no idea what you are talking about. A thank you, and a please, go a long way down the road to making life more pleasant to all involved. The holding of a door for someone and a thank you when it is held for you, not a look of you were entitled, is an act of kindness that is seen less and less.  When they are practiced, they will make you feel better about yourself and those that notice will feel better about you too. I recently meet two young men minutes apart. One looked at me smiled and said, “Good morning.” The other passed without a word unloaded his shopping cart into his car trunk and drove off leaving the cart setting in the middle of the lot in the way of everyone else. Without ever knowing either young man I believe I know something about each. Let’s put “common” back in courtesy. It will cost you nothing, but you and others will be richer for it.

  A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: Prov. 15:4

Thank you, gracias, Je vous remercie, Danke, Asante, ありがとうございました, Дякую