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Just yesterday as I sat putting micros in my friends hair we discussed the importance of being proper, polite and courteous. Sometimes in life we can overlook the little necessities of being polite when interacting with our friends or family and a little courtesy goes a VERY long way.
Have you ever met an individual that was so selfish and self absorbed that everything you did with them had to be at their convenience? Well I have and being friends with that type of person is no longer an option for me. Have you ever given a gift to someone to never receive a thank you card, note or phone call? Isn't that just common courtesy? Oh and by the way a thank you text is just plain lazy in my opinion. Apparently some people don't think thanking others for their generosity is necessary at all. I call it the 'Entitlement' syndrome and this is often displayed by people who have been overly spoiled by their parents and in turn grow up to be brats in their adulthood. My father loved to call women 'prima donna's' who displayed this type of behavior. Prima donna by definition means a vain or undisciplined person who finds it hard to work under direction or as apart of a team. Being in a friendship requires the work and effort of two individuals i.e. TEAM and if you are always the one putting forth the effort to call them, extend an invite to meet up or having to chase them down to spend time together you might have a Prima Donna on your hands.
This point brings me to my next pet peeve when it comes to lack of courtesy being time and the fact that it is of the essence. I think people play down the importance of time for others because they don't value their time as much. I for one vehemently despise when people don't respect my time. If I ask you to be somewhere at a certain time and you agree to it I expect to see you there at that time. Shoot I got things to do, other people to see and places to go! When you go to work your boss expects you there on time right and you show up, hopefully, on time to display your professionalism and how dedicated you are to your job so why not extend the same respect to your friends and family alike. I often hear people boast about being late and blaming it on CP (color people time) as if this is cute that we can't show up to functions on time. I think at this point of my life all of my friends know how I feel about this so just keep that in mind or be prepared to be told something about your tardiness ;0)
My next point of discussion will be on the importance of RSVP. Many of us often use this terminology when inviting others to attend something we are hosting. RSVP comes from the French term meaning 'Respondez s'il vous plait' meaning 'please respond.' I'm not sure if there is a growing rudeness in our society but there is certainly a lack of RSVP's. The purpose of the host or hostess asking the invitees to RSVP is not to be fancy, it is so he or she can obtain an accurate head count. It does not mean only to respond if you are coming, it also means respond if you might be coming or regretfully can not be in attendance. It is also equally important to RSVP via the source requested for example if the hostess includes a return RSVP card for the party then mail it back, if the hostess request an electronic RSVP on a website like evite or their wedding website then log on and respond. It only takes a few minutes of time and will definitely be greatly appreciated by the host.
Lastly I wanted to touch on the verbal common courtesy like please, thank you, excuse me, may I interrupt etc I have been the culprit of rudely interjecting my two cents in conversations when the person is in mid sentence. I'm not sure why I do this but I'm working on it so I apologize in advance of me completing nipping that annoying habit in the bud. Although it may not seem like a huge importance simply saying thank you, please and excuse me to others during your interaction is a very big deal. Why? Because although we call them common courtesies they are not so common after all. So the next time someone holds the door for you say thank you with a huge smile. Whenever you are given back your money, credit card or receipt say thank you with a huge smile. Finally a mental note for me, the next time someone is speaking let them finish their sentence it is never really that necessary to interject ;0)
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Have a great weekend Pretty Girls, will you be rocking a dress while practicing being proper, polite and courteous this weekend?
