I love everything that’s old – old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wine.– Oliver Goldsmith

A call for a return to manners, civility & poise!

I believe that the days of being petulant & stroppy must end! I am bored by girls who chew gum with their mouth open, frustrated by those who drag their feet while they walk, disappointed by boys who eat with their elbows on the table. I am turned off by lazy speaking, whether that means inelegant elocution or a vocabulary littered with cuss-words (of which I myself am guilty). It exasperates me that the international uniform for girls my age appears to be tracksuit pants & flip-flops. Nobody treasures their possessions anymore. People go out in scuffed shoes with a handbag full of rubbish. Nothing is deliberate or special. The world is full of slouching & belching, drunkenness & lechery, constant cellphone prattling & arguments in public.

It is hardly surprising when the role models for young girls these days leave the house with their c-section scars hanging out! The whole thing is crass & disgusting.

The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any.– Fred Astaire

End the madness!

If you don’t know where to begin, here is my decorum diktat — short & sweet. The basic idea is that you think about how you are presenting yourself! Be polite & friendly — smile at people! Learn to take a compliment. Never air your personal grievances in public (it is so uncouth). Look after your appearance. Do your best to pronounce words clearly. Stand up straight, as if you’re proud of yourself (if you’re not, fake it until you make it). Do what you say you will — honour your commitments. Finally, & perhaps most importantly, try not to be that person who gets hideously trashed & makes a fool of themselves every weekend. You will never respect yourself, & neither will anyone else.

A man’s manners are a mirror in which he shows his portrait.– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Extra For Experts:
A “modern manners” test from the BBC — how do you score?
Thoroughly modern manners — a nice overview of manners today!