Manners

Yesterday, I was at a fairly large scale goodbye party for a work colleague, and my other colleagues were in line for food when the caterers ran out of plates. My friends and I were waiting patiently for the plates to be replaced when some obnoxious person cut the line, went up to the server and started to take food and be all pushy. I said, under my breath, "Uh, there's a LINE!" Not quietly enough, I guess, because the guy totally turned around and looked guilty, and then tried to cut into the line BEHIND us once the line got moving again.

Does no one learn manners these days? Just because the food was free doesn't mean that you have license to be rude.

On top of that, the person who took the last plate, despite the obviously fact that they were running low on food (we had gotten to the party on the later side) and that there was a significant line behind him, FILLED his plate with the fruit salad and topped it with eight large spoonfuls of whipped creme. I was mortified.

And it isn't just an isolated incident. I can't believe the number of times lately that I have had a problem with people talking through movies in the theater... and they were ADULTS. And then you have the people who talk loudly on cell phones in restaurants, at the movies, at the theater, like they just own the place, or who take cell phone calls from other individuals while they are in the middle of a conversation with someone.

I grew up with parents and grandparents who were very strict about manners, table and otherwise. I used to think that it was stupid and a waste of time. But as I grow older, I appreciate that I have a good foundation in manners, even if sometimes I come off a bit more formal than other people. I am not saying that I don't ever make social faux pas; I am only human after all. It would be nice though if some people were a little more mindful of manners a little more frequently. It might make all the difference.