"News is pouring in from across the world regarding the fate of Please and Thank You. The long established common courtesy duo have been seen less and less in recent years leading to rumours they were about to retire from public life altogether. Others suggest they have been kidnapped against their will and left to die in the desert of disrespect. Polite forces from many nations are asking people to be vigilant in the hope that they are still alive somewhere and can be reintegrated into everyday life"
One morning recently, I was in a queue (line) waiting to order breakfast. The guy in front of me must have ordered about seven items. As I listened to each step of the order, I couldn't help but notice the complete absence of "please" and "thank you". "Can I have this, can I have that, oh and can I have this as well". Not a single "please"! I thought perhaps he is saving it all up for a really big "THANK YOU" at the end. Apparently not as the lady prepared and provided him with his order and he left the store without any semblance of acknowledgment. I shook my head in disbelief but remained silent.( People can get hurt for raising an objection these days!). I also noticed that the lady serving him his breakfast also left out any "thank you". I assumed this was her way of objecting to the customers rudeness.
I was wrong! As I ordered my own breakfast, slipping in as many "pleases" and smiles as I could and finishing off with a pleasant "thank you", I left the store stunned and angry as I too was dismissed without a "thank you".
In an office job I had recently, we recruited an 18 year old young man as a receptionist. I spent 12 months teaching him how important it was to say "please" and "thank you" to people. Not because it was part of my job but because he honestly didn't know! He would ask for things without a please and take things without a thank you. He was not a child, he was a young man unaware of the concepts of courtesy and respect. He is not alone. This has become a disease which is rapidly spreading. Although the courtesy tumour seems more prevalent in younger people, it is far from exclusive.
Holding a door to a store open recently, five people walked in as I waited. One person said "thank you" and one smiled politely. The remainder just barged in, oblivious to both me and the world around them.
What has happened? What is going on? This is not an isolated incident. This is occurring on a daily basis and becoming more and more frequent. At what point, in which generation did we (the world) decide life would be better if we took simple acts of respect out of the equation?
My imaginary news report may be dappled in sarcasm and my examples may seem petty but what hope is there for the world and its larger issues if we can't even get "Please" and "Thank You" right?
Thank you for reading.
