Monday, June 1, 2009

WHY-WHY-WHY?!

Please indulge me in a bit of a rant, will you? My mother taught me to say please and thank you. She also taught me to be thoughtful in little ways, like holding doors open for people and crap like that.

So why, WHY, do people feel the need to reach out to hold the door when I'M ALREADY HOLDING IT OPEN FOR THEM?! Is it a bad habit? Do they not trust strangers? Have they suffered post traumatic door syndrome? It makes me not wanna be nice anymore- I live in Jersey for crap sake! I suppose I'll keep doin' it 'cause it's the right thing to do. I'll do it for old people and the occasional woman if she's attractive, but I'm not gonna hold it open for the kids. They need a hard lesson and tough love, and by cracky I'll school 'em!

My mom also taught me to mind my P's an Q's- what does that mean anyway? posterity and quantum physics? Periods and quotations? Who knows- who cares?! Then again she said, if I had nothing good to say, then don't say anything at all, to which I'd reply, "but then I'd never talk", and she'd say, "that's the idea."

'Cause if mama ain't happy, ain't noooobody happy!

6 comments:

tia-juana said...

[Apparently, p's and q's stand for "pints and quarts" something barkeeps were supposed to "mind" in serving their drinks, and keeping their customers' tabs.] I love to find out where words and phrases come from.

ANYWAY, sometimes I think there are two kinds of people in the world: those that will go out of their way to help (hold door, pick up something you have dropped, even the almost-obsolete "YIELD TO THE RIGHT OF WAY!" The other kind of people are those who pretend that you are not there - only they are entering, walking or driving. If the door is already open, they walk through and pretend it magically opened for them. I see this a lot with the younger set (mostly teens) - but I hold it for them anyway - following the hope that one day they will pass it on.

Getting back to your post, I think those folks who hold out their hand to the door even though you are clearly already holding it are trying to say thank you.

C. Louis Wolfe said...

See that Tia, you schooled me- THANKS! Perhaps I can learn a thing or two from you.

I agree for the most part, especially w/the kids, but where are they learning that? Whose their example(s), the parents?

I'm not sure that's a way of expressing a THANK YOU. How 'bout just sayin' it? I know it doesn't help & I should let it go, but if they don't say it, I say your welcome (sarcastically) which probably doesn't help, but makes me feel better & superior! ;-o

tia-juana said...

I think the kids are behaving that way because it's not very cool to be polite. Hopefully they'll grow up and out of that attitude.

And I'm not sure that you feel better when you sacastically say "you're welcome"; I think that you are silently steaming. Don't be grouchy - just let it go.

C. Louis Wolfe said...

Can I be grouchy, then let it go, but not really? ;^)

Stefany said...

Hey, I'm a teen and could care less about being 'hip' or 'cool.' I am always VERY polite... Sometimes too polite. Some of my friends say they hate the way I act to the public, but I don't care. I'm just trying to be as courteous and nice as possible.

And I always give that 'look over the shoulder' in movie theatres at rowdy and ANNOYING AS HELL "cool" teenagers that think their hot s***.

Sorry... had to rant!

C. Louis Wolfe said...

Don't apologize for ranting about MY rant Zetz, well actually you probably should. OK, I accept your apology...for now.

Stay the way you are. Perhaps it will rub off on your mean, discourteous friends. SCHOOL 'EM! I'm sure your friends are quite nice or they wouldn't be your friends, no?