Good manners are not old-fashioned

There was a time when good manners were expected. You said “please” when asking for something and “thank you” when someone helped you. You held the door for the person behind you. You looked people in the eye, spoke clearly, and treated them as though they mattered. Some folks may call that old-fashioned. I call it civilized. Good manners cost no money, yet they can be worth a great deal. A kind word may brighten the day of a cashier who has been standing for hours. Patience with a server may ease the burden of someone trying to handle a crowded dining room. A courteous answer on the telephone can set a tone of respect before a conversation has even begun. We live in a hurried world. People rush to work, rush home, check phones, answer messages, and worry about matters that may or may not matter tomorrow. In all that hurry, it is easy to forget the small courtesies that make life more pleasant. But those courtesies still matter.

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