Miss Manners Where Are You?

Normally, my wife Francine and I spend the holidays here in Montreal with my five kids and their families (three grandkids and another on the way).

This year we tried something a bit different… we decided to take a Caribbean cruise followed by a few days in Orlando doing the theme park rounds. My eldest son Jonathan, his wife Sylvie and son William joined Francine and my youngest daughter Veronica on the trip. We had a really good time and created a lot of great memories.

When we got off the ship in Fort Lauderdale we had to take a bus to rent a car. It was a 10 – 15 minute ride. The bus was very crowded… standing room only. That included my wife Francine who we tried to support while she held William, my 16 month grandson. Not one of the healthy young adults sitting right in front of Francine offered to get up and give her their place during the ride. They just sat and watched her.

I thought to myself, “Miss Manners Where Are You?”

But seriously, what has happened to our basic rules surrounding politeness and basic human decency? We have lost something over the years. Everybody is in such a hurry that we seem to have forgotten we don’t live in a bubble and that there are others who deserve our respect and kindness.

I truly believe that as a society, we need to take a step back, take a deep breath and reflect on the fact that what we give… or don’t give, goes round in a circle.