I say "please" and "thank you" a lot. Partly because I was raised to be courteous, but also partly because, as a character in Blast From The Past said, "Manners are a way of showing others we respect them." After all, courtesy is the lubricant that greases the wheels of civilized society.
So far today I've talked to multiple people on every floor of the hospital. I've said thank you to most of them. There was the family that I thanked for waiting until visiting hours actually started to come in for a visit, the staffing clerk who found some extra nurses for evening shift, the charge nurse who assured me it would be no problem to take a bunch of new admissions as long as she got extra staff, just to name a few. To my way of thinking, I am saying that I approve of these people's actions. I realize they don't need my approval, but when I'm on the receiving end of sincere thanks for merely doing the job I'm paid to do, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. That's a feeling I like to share. It takes no effort to be nice rather than nasty. Most days anyway.
There was a preteen boy ahead of me at Tim Horton's just a little while ago. After he'd made his purchase and walked away, I asked the counter lady if he'd said "please" or "thank you" to her. No, he hadn't. She and I commiserated on the lack of basic courtesy in some people's children. Why is it that so many parents aren't teaching or modeling good manners? It isn't rocket science, you know. Common sense, after all, if you're nice to others they will ususally respond in kind, coupled with the Golden Rule learned as toddlers: Do Unto Others.........
So let's all decide to make someone else's day - say thank you to someone and watch them glow with appreciation. It doesn't cost anything, and I can say from experience that the warm fuzzy feeling goes both ways.
Thank you for your attention.
4 comments:
I try to say "thank you" as much as possible, though I admit I am just as ready to chastise when someone is unbearably rude, like today when a young woman hopped onto the LRT car as people tried to exit, or a few minutes later when another woman jumped in front of people lined up to board a bus. Neither one of them seemed to understand what bothered me about their behaviour.
And they never will get it, either, unless someone whacks them with a clue-by-four.
At least you're willing to speak up, rather than fuming in silence.
It's interesting to watch some people's reactions to a simple "thank you". Apparently, it has become so uncommon that when people *do* hear it, they aren't sure how to respond. Sad.
I also say thank you and please as often as possible, it's just plain common courtesy.
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