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HEADS – Manner
Ever read “Dear Abby”? Well, when I read the week’s prompt for the first Tuesday in August, I first thought in that perspective. But in this case, “Miss Manners”. In a way it’s quite like Abby’s column, but typically it evolves around mannerisms. For instance:
- Dear Miss Manners:
I am in desperate need of your sage advice concerning friends/acquaintances who continually chide my husband and me because our lives do not revolve around sitting at a computer all day.
We are educated, retired and attend many social functions with retired friends, where conversation invariably leads to stories of how much time they spend on the computer at home every day. Also about blogs, iPods, cable/dish television and radio, etc. We are avid readers, enjoy nature and bird-watching, walking, interacting with our grandchildren and neighbors, attending the theater and philharmonic and, most importantly, we converse. We often frequent our local library, watch PBS and listen to NPR.
We do have an old computer that I occasionally use for e-mail only (but am not online), and do not subscribe to cable/dish nor own iPods.
We would never dream of telling them NOT to spend so much of their precious time in life sitting in front of a computer. Yet we are on the receiving end of their endless, and often arrogant, remarks about how we are “out of the loop.”
What makes you think it an insult to be told that you are out of that particular loop?
Miss Manners advises you to stop being defensive and turn — well, no, not offensive, as you would be if you touted your pastimes the way your friends and acquaintances tout theirs. But you enjoy conversation, so why don’t you initiate some? A standard opening to do so is “Read any good books lately?”
from the Washington Post
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As a kid, do you remember the list of manners you had to learn as you grew up? For instance:
- Don’t put your elbows on the table when dining!
Don’t talk with your mouth full of food
Hold the door open for your elders
Wait to begin eating until all are served
Excuse yourself before leaving the table
When calling on the phone ALWAYS give your name first upon connection
Say please and thank you
Do you remember those? And more? What did you learn as you grew up to adulthood? Manners seem to have flown out the window with today’s society…but it’s STILL out there, just look around—-
~…end Tuesday’s Heads or Tails
[scroll below my new dinnerware for comment link]
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And speaking of table manners!——–
Our son was here for an overnight stay this past weekend. And on Sunday morning, early, we headed for Wal Mart to pick up some things for his apartment. He wanted my ‘opinion’ on some stuff. LOL
Well, when he was done traversing the aisles, he loads a box of new dinner ware for eight and plans on giving it to me. He said “I’m tired of your Southwestern Kokopelli dishes. You don’t live in the desert anymore.” Okay…ya, I guess you’re right.
So….out with the old.
And…in with the new.
[We all love black in our decor, so it's not surprising that he'd pick out the black set.] It’s okay. It’s the thought that counts. And he felt good that he was buying something for his ol’ mom!! I appreciate it. And the old southwest set did have a lot of pieces missing – it wasn’t a complete set any longer what with broken ones being tossed of course. He did good! And the black set goes much better with my gold flatware any ol’ day!!
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