MANNERS AND OTHER LOST ARTS......

Today, I hosted a luncheon for the teachers in our school. It is still winter, technically, and though I have personally been wearing shorts and sandals all over the place, I thought I could push a soup luncheon. SO, soup it was.

We had 7 crock pots of soup, spoons, bowls, crackers, desserts, drinks and napkins. There are 70 faculty and staff that we fed. So what's the problem? Dependability. I cannot believe some people.

Being on the PTO board....more specifically, Hospitality Coordinator, it is my job to make the teachers feel appreciated. Having been a teacher, especially at the school I serve, I have a good handle on what the teachers would want and like. Food is ALWAYS a winner. I brought our Volunteer Coordinator on board. It was her job to find out what I needed and to call the many people who paid their $5 dues and stated how much they wanted to be involved.

"GREAT! THANKS! WE'LL GIVE YOU A CALL!"

So one call goes out to a sweet person. She is asked to bring spoons. I got spoons. TWELVE OF THEM! I kid you not. TWELVE SPOONS! PTO got to buy spoons today.

It is easy to say that something came up. But you know what? Something ALWAYS comes up! The last luncheon we had was a Frito pie luncheon. My cheese lady got sick. She really did. She called to let us know ONE WEEK AFTER the fact....one week after PTO bought cheese.

I have money at my disposal. Not a lot, but enough to get me out of the two pickles I have been in regarding "Teacher Appreciation." *sigh* What do you do? I can't really address the members at the general meeting and say, "HEY, CHEESE LADY, THANKS A LOT!" (though I must admit....it would be quite gratifying.)

This problem isn't the only one I've noticed. It seems to be an epidemic...and epidemic of cosmic proportion! It is due to poor raising, I believe. Manners are totally lost. Nobody cares anymore. You can't force someone to mind their manners. You can't force a "please" or a "thank you." (unless of course you are holding some tasty morsel out of the reach of a toddler or young child.) All you can do is train them "in the way that they should go" and hope it sticks.

My kids are being trained. So diligent is my tutelage that my 20 month old can be heard saying, "sawwweeeee" and "pweez." As we walk through WM, my children are often heard saying, "please", "excuse me", and "yes ma'am."

When I see a child look up and say, "excuse me," my heart instantly warms and I respond with "that's OK, sweetie," or something equally pleasant. Here lately, even when I say, "excuse me," I'm met with silence.

I was pushing a cart, with 2 of my 4 sweet babies, and I got rammed by some person in a hurry to get into the store. NOTHING was said by her. In my aggravation, I stated, rather loudly, "exCUSE us!" Not a look, not a huff....NADA! NOTHING! ZERO! ZIP!

All that being said, I'm tired of depending on the undependable. I'm tired of insincerity. I'm tired of people being inconsiderate. I hope, and pray, that I'm always mindful of how I come across. I do not want to be one of those people that I'm talking about now.