Each November Thanksgiving Day rolls in and family and friends gather to share a meal. Often times, we are asked to voice something that we are thankful for. These statements are usually centered around the basic needs that are being met and being thankful for family and friends. I find that to be all well and good but what else are you thankful for that made an impact on your life?

During the summer we were eating lunch at our favorite pub and there was a young woman who had a bag that I thought was sooooo cute! My husband kept watching me eye it and knew that I wanted to ask her where she got it. I finally broke down and approached her. She was very gracious about it and she explained where she got it and why and she looked for a tag to see who made it. Meanwhile, the lady she was with snickered while she was eating her food and did not look my way. Once the girl noticed her friends behavior, she turned away from me and I was basically…dismissed. Be it due to my age or that she was done with me, I do not know. I walked back to our able and we proceeded to pay our bill and leave.

This interaction with her made me grateful for how my parents raised me. I thought her actions to be rude and I felt sorry for her upbringing. In my world, if a person comes up to you to talk, ask a question or whatever, they are to be treated with attention and respect. They have the table and they say when the conversation is done. It shows the person that they have value and are being listened to. It does not matter if you are late to a meeting or want to be someplace else…that person needs to feel valued.

While in a grocery store parking lot, I saw a camper van that was the perfect size for what we wanted as a third vehicle. There was a man sitting in the drivers seat and I called to him through the passenger window and asked if I could ask him some questions about the van. He looked excited to talk about it, like guys do when they can talk about trucks, guns or whiskey. He was answering my questions and his wife got done doing what she was doing in the kitchen area and moved into the passenger seat. I was excited to find this type of van because it seemed more affordable than anything else we had looked at and you can customize it, at no additional cost, to what you need for your way of living. I was about to ask him about fuel mileage and the chassis but his wife said, nice meeting you and started rolling up the window…her husband looked shocked and I guess this meant I was done. I wanted to talk to someone who actually used the van and what the pros and cons were about owning it, otherwise, I am stuck with a salesperson and they are just trying to sell me a van. Again…I was dismissed.

The husbands face told me that he had been raised better but apparently his wife had not. It is not lost upon me that the rudest people I meet are women. I honestly do not know how they can feel good about themselves for being rude but that is the lay of the land right now. It will change someday but I do not see that happening in the near future.

When you sit down with family and friends, do not be remiss in mentioning the values you were taught by others and reflect on how they have helped you in your life. How their guidance made you a better person. Yes, you may have your basic needs met but manners also count in life. Go out there and make time to be a better human.

~peace out homies~