The Lesson of the Car Door
Manners. What does that one word evoke in your mind? Yesterday, I could not give words to my thoughts but today I can. In fact it is a question more about, “Why Manners?”
It is my belief that when manners are engaged, it is a gentle acknowledgement that I see you. If practiced, manners can become unconscious, simple acts of kindness toward anyone and most likely consciously or unconsciously lovingly received.
This lesson or knowledge came to me in the form of a silent question, “Will he open the car door? Or “Will he not open the car door?”
The person in question unlocked the door and walked away leaving me to open the car door. Now, I know I am perfectly able to open the door. He knows that I am perfectly able to open the door. I found, however, that I was miffed. In the few nanoseconds it would have taken to open the door, he could have conveyed a feeling of caring and respect. Instead I felt let down and unappreciated.
As an aside, if he had unlocked the door automatically or opened it from the driver’s I would not have thought twice about opening the door.
Do you every think about how easily it is to use manners to help someone feel good about themselves?
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