I was raised in the South and looking around here now you wouldn't know it was anywhere any different than anywhere else. I see folks in restaurants chewing/talking/coughing with their mouth wide open food in it or not. To me....that's just disgusting. I was taught not to do things like that because it does not exemplify politeness and is unsightly. Also, bodily functions, and speak of them, at or around the kitchen or in a dining room has ALWAYS been a huge nasty no-no for me and my family. We are discrete enough to excuse ourselves or at the least apologize profusely for accidentals...KIDS over 3 years old included. I miss manners in our society!!! I was SOOOO proud of this young teen boy yesterday when I came out of a store!! My hands were full and he was walking in as I was walking out. He ACTUALLY stood at the door for a few seconds longer than he had to to hold the door for me. When I said Thank you...he replied with "You're welcome ma'am!" I could've just kissed the kid it was so sweet and gentlemanly!!!! WHY can't we have more like him?!?! I by no means needed him to hold the door for me, and he knew that, but he was polite and did it anyway. No expectations of a thank you I'm sure as so many have omitted those words from their vocabulary these days. I am a young person who appreciates what my family has taught in the way of manners, and I just wish I saw more of it in practice. It makes things so much nicer. There is nothing better than a polite well mannered young person, and nothing worse IMO than a young person who is not. It's just too bad the latter outnumber the others. Anybody else feel this way? What are we teaching our kids? Yeah maybe I am a manners snob, but I don't want to see anyone's chewed up taco, or listen to a kid yell at his mom in a store, or watch a boy enter in front of a girl only to let the door slam in her face. Old fashioned manners are LOVELY!! Lack of them is just ugly..
