Courtesy and Common Decency

Batman Says:

Maybe I’m from the wrong era, I suppose I could be, or maybe people just don’t care any more (some never did anyways). I recently found out that some girls, ladies, females (hope that covers it), actually get offended when they are called Ma’am!!?? I have never in my life (no you don’t get to know how old I am but I remember 3 manual channel television sets) heard something so stupid.

I’m from the South (southern United States), we, since we were old enough to talk were taught to be respectful. Respectful to our parents, our elders, and anyone we met at any time. We were taught to answer men, boys, males (see I did it for them to!) with “Sir”, it wasn’t an age thing it was a manners thing. We were taught to answer ladies (see above) with “Ma’am”, again did not matter how old they are/were, when we answered a boy or girl, man or woman, it was with “Sir” or “Ma’am”. It was a courtesy and a sign of respect to our parents that what they taught was actually being used. I, to this day, open doors for people, I tip my hat (I wear cowboy, baseball, boonie hats) to ladies young and old. I get funny looks at times but if I screw up and forget I subconsciously wince remembering my daddy’s hand swat the back of my head “where are your manners boy?”.

Manners: the act of being respectful of others without expecting anything in return for it (Batman definition). The last thing someone should be when they are addressed as “Ma’am” is offended, and it’s a sorry state of affairs that ANYONE would be. Look, there are a bazillion reasons one can find to be offended by someone’s words or actions, being offended by being called “Ma’am” is ludicrous (Peach didn’t know I knew fancy words) to say the least.

I am a parent, some say a good dad and I’m sure some say not, I’m ok with that, no one can say with honesty that I’m not polite and that I did not teach my boys manners. They came out durn good young men, too by the way. I can tell you this, and you can take it to the bank, there will never come a time, no matter if I’m walking with a cane and hunched over, that I won’t tip my hat to a lady, or won’t hold the door for someone or won’t say “Ma’am or Sir”. Be offended if you will but you’re missing the point.

Parents young and old want their children to be respectful, respect is taught at HOME and part of that respect is manners. Teach your kids to say ma’am and sir, show them how to be polite to strangers and friends alike, in the end they will thank you for it I bet. If you’re on the receiving end of a respectful greeting, don’t be offended that the “old guy” called you ma’am, he meant it as a compliment out of respect, not as a slight.

Respect for each other, coupled with manners, if everyone practiced it, would make the places we live in so much nicer.

Common Decency is another, where did being decent as people to each other go, does anyone know? In today’s society all I mostly see are people in a hurry to go someplace without regard for any of the people around them. I’m going to use something different as an example instead of cars, let’s use boats.

From the biggest to the smallest, boats of all shapes are running around on lakes, rivers, oceans (substitute with any other body of water) in greater numbers than ever before. I see it daily as one of my many duties is operating the Police Marine unit. I was out today as a matter of fact, and the longer I stayed out, the more discourteous other boaters became (or I noticed it more). Boaters cutting each other off, following too close, waking each other with hurrying to get nowhere fast. Boats are for recreation, and therefore by definition are supposed to be for fun and relaxation, so why is everyone in a dad blamed hurry all the time? Rules are simple in my neck of the woods, always have a lookout, always slow down around bridges, mooring fields, anchored vessels, and marinas. If we would all just slow the flip down, be courteous to your fellow boaters and it will be safer, and I bet you have just as good a time as you had flying around like your pants are on fire.

Common Decency, another dying art, and that’s a pity as I see it.

“Yes Ma’am Peach, I’ll get that garbage out in a jiffy“