Civility

Is civility dead? Have people forgotten their common manners?  I am afraid the answer is yes.  Thank you cards - gone.  RSVP-ing to events - gone.  Please and thank you's - gone (thanks to texting and email - keep it short and sweet).  The list is staggering.   Be loud and rude and you will make the evening news.  Or if it bleeds it leads (referring to if it's a horrible story it will lead in the nightly newscast...sad).  Anyway.  The other day I stood in line behind a woman at the grocery store who was fighting on the phone with someone....loudly.  I watched at the checker politely asked her how her day was going.  The woman ignored her.  Instead she continued her fighting conversation on her cell phone slamming on the conveyor belt all of her items.  She swiped her card grabbed her bags and left.  Didn't say ONE word to the person helping her.  RUDE.  I felt inclined to apologize to the checker, who told me it happens all of the time.  What?  All of the time?  Beyond just cell phones, what else do we see out in the world to prove the fact that civility is dead?  How about how people treat each other on reality shows and television shows?  Or how about that douche bag Kenye West who interrupted Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech for an award?  How about that Senator that yelled out "You LIE" to the President (yes the President of the United States) during a speech?

The other day I thought I would test my theory that civility is dead.  I walked around the mall and grocery store and smiled at anyone who would look up at me.  Not many looked up from their phone or just starring at the floor in front of them.  But the ones that did look up....many of them gave me dirty looks.  Like, why are you smiling at me you bitch?  I laughed.  The younger people were suspicious the older folks smiled back.  SAD!  I am fearful that my daughter will grow up in a world where people don't know how to treat each other kindly....with civility.  Well one thing is for sure, I will teach Ava how to properly address people, say please and thank you, how to get attention in a positive way, how to write thank you cards, to RSVP and for goodness sake to get off her cell phone when she is in public.  It starts at home folks and I hope you will jump on the bandwagon because where this world is going is sad.