Etiquette

A word on Etiquette:

What makes a person low class? Is it defined by what economic class you're born into? No. I know plenty of people who have been born into families without money who conduct themselves as perfect gentlemen/ladies. On the reverse of that, I know people who have been born into money, and you'd never know it. The difference is the way they conduct themselves in life, and the way they treat other people. Otherwise known as the rules of Etiquette. The biggest rule is just plain being respectful, and following through on things you say you'll do. If you promise to call someone, do it. If you say you'll be joining them at a gathering or party, you'd better be there. And if for some reason you can't make it, you'd better call. And, unless in an absolute emergency, don't call after the event explaining why you weren't there. There are exceptions, like if you suddenly have to go to the ER, etc. But in most cases, that's not the reason behind the no-show. I am infuriated by our generation's lack of Etiquette. And it's nothing more than a lack of respect for other people. For some reason, most people only care about their needs at the present moment, being completely self-absorbed. And if you are this type of person, yes, I consider you low class.

The story behind this rant starts early this morning. One of my daycare kids was a no-show. I called the mother's friend (for lack of a better term), and she said this mom was sick the night before. Really sick. So after an hour of calling the house, cell phone, and back and forth while getting no answer and a couple of busy signals, I packed up all the kids (which is not an easy task) and drove over to their house to make sure the mom wasn't passed out somewhere while her daughter was unsupervised. Nobody was home. I came back home, and an hour later, she calls. She found someone cheaper, and just decided to bring her over there today. That's what I get for caring. Not to mention I was paid a few weeks late and not even everything I was owed, but I told her I understood her situation and as long as she was making the effort, I was OK with that. When I started watching this kid, Joe said, "you're going to get screwed. I've dealt with people like her my whole life, and she's going to screw you over. " He was right. He's always right. But this is where the Etiquette and respect for others comes in. I bent over backwards to help this woman out, and this is what I get. And I don't know which economic class she was born into, but she is, in my eyes, low class. She will move through life looking for handouts, screwing over the innocent until they get fed up, and then she'll move to the next victim. Sadly, her daughter will be brought up in this environment and the cycle will continue for the next generation.

Above all, we try to teach our children respect for others and themselves. If they respect themselves, then they'll never look for handouts, and they'll be too good to screw people over. But unfortunately, they will run into those who will take advantage of them for being good people. I just hope it doesn't burn them. I like to give everyone a chance, but at the same rate, I need to start protecting myself. I know I've said this before in an earlier blog, but it's hard to know when to draw the line. And what if you find a truly honest person that you turn away due to prejudice? I don't think I'll ever figure that out.