I just deleted the blog entry that originally occupied this space because it was overly indicative of my frustration level today. Writing down my thoughts sort of made me feel better but I didn’t really want to burden my gentle reader with the tedium.
I have been chastised in the past for commenting that things in the U.S. seemed better in “days gone by”. I’m talking about the days when people dressed up to board an airplane or wore a full set of clothes at the dinner table and actually sat at the dinner table. Folks remind me that the gays present at those dinner tables usually had a fake girlfriend or wife and they hid in the closet. Maybe that’s why so many people drank. But honestly, I don’t give a flip about that part of it, we all know that we’ve made progress in the diversity department and that’s great. What I’m talking about is that people had class back then. There was respect. You were nice to each other. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome.” Cashiers counted the change back to you without handing you a bunch of wadded up bills stacked helter-skelter. There was conversation between people. Quality trumped quantity in your work most everytime. “Made In the USA” meant something.
I must be getting old.
You know, I don’t think it’s about getting old. I think it’s about having standards. I think that the word ‘class’ the the apposite word here, and I share your view that there is a lot less of it about. It’s something on this side of the pond too.
Hope you’re feeling more ‘up’ soon though!
So maybe the “hipsters” are on to something?
You’re absolutely right. There is an almost total lack of class, manners, and standards. Trying to show someone the ‘right’ way to act is almost universally met with ‘don’t judge me’. Personally I think MORE judging is in order.
I don’t mean to come across sounding a snob and I’m certainly no Hyacinth Bouquet but I was brought up in a house where manners and etiquette were the norm and I still value them.