Be more polite

Well, I still have problems with it. I am much too straight forward. I should be more tolerating and demure.

I have not been polite nor nice and here I am, blessed with a good life. And while discovering there is no God, I have lost the site and focus of worshiping one.

Be kind. While modern psychology justifies graciousness as reaping rewards for the giver, kindness cannot be sustained with an emotional carrot. It is an act that requires repeated and consistent mental and physical movement and similarly, demands study, practice and commitment. I do not always feel like being kind and while I feel lousy in the laze of disregard and slightly better for making up for it I must know my reasons for kindness, perfect my form and build practical walls of resistance to its deterioration.

On that note: I believe I have lost some caring in the big city and with time and with age. How do you give the big gifts and protect yourself in the meantime?

My job as a cashier probably wasn’t the best place to learn politeness, but somehow it did. After finding out what it’s like to be training on the job and have irate customers, I am much nicer and more polite to cashiers and waitresses and people in general. Plus, part of my job was just being polite to the customers, and that has definitely carried on into my personal life. Most of the time, at lesat.

I’ll consider this done. My newest job, hostessing at a linen tablecloth, classy, reputalbe restaurant has taught me a lot about how to be polite….I find myself opening doors for people w/o thinking about it….going out of my way so to not have to make anyone else move..you know. :-)

I think this is mostly a shyness issue with me. There are times when I want to say “thank you” or “excuse me” but I’m just too shy to say it. Or like if I bump into someone I’ll feel unnecessarily/overly embarrassed for a moment and by the time I have the chance to think of saying “excuse me” it’s too late.

I think what my goal is, is to say “thank you” and “excuse me” more, and to step aside more often to let oncoming persons through, for example, a door. Those are the sort of things I’m finding myself regretting when I fail. Basically issues involving strangers in public, I guess.

I say “Thank You” a whole heck of a lot, but I was just thinking… how much happier would people be if others were polite to them? If they were appreciated? That has to start somewhere, so I should take the initiative…

Miss Manners I ain’t but I don’t chew with my mouth full and only put my elbows on the table when dining alone.

I find that I just feel like a nicer person when I have said “Thank you. Have a good night!” to my bus driver. It’s little but I feel like it’s a step in the right direction. Sometimes the driver seems genuinely surprised by the good wishes.

I’ve started to say Please and thank you as much as possible. I didn’t realize how many times during the day I would make a request and wouldn’t say please. How rude of me!

I’ve also started driving the speed limit (exactly), driving in the right lane to avoid faster traffic, and always driving like there’s a cop following me. I feel much safer on the road as a bonus.

We teach two-year-olds to say these and then somewhere along the line, we tend to get sloppy. Or at least, I’ve gotten sloppy. I am fairly demanding at times, without being particularly nice about it. So, more pleases and thank yous!