Are day to day words being taken for granted?
In our society, is mankind truly familiar with the meaning of words used in verbal exchanges and actions taken?
As an educator, I witness throngs of students who cannot define the lexicon of a language and muddle through it. I witness adults, who may drone the definition but have NO CLUE how to implement it in their daily lives. In essence, they may talk the talk, but not walk the talk.
And yet, we adopt these words, preaching to those around and boasting its values in our world, without a clear and full understanding of what the words truly mean...
Which brings me to my word of the day, COURTESY.
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines Courtesy as:
*a behavior marked by polished manners or respect for others : courteous behavior
*a courteous and respectful act or expression
*general allowance despite facts : indulgence
*consideration, cooperation, and generosity in providing something (as a gift or privilege);
Making an effort to model courtesy to my sons is an inherent need.
Whether teaching them to hold the door open for the one behind, or expressing gratitude for an act of kindness, or simply waiting for everyone to sit at the table before digging in, are all values I deem important for my environment and those around me. Courtesy allows us to live more kindly and be more palatable to our "neighbors". Moreover, I have taught the boys that courtesy is ageless and gender neutral.
I assume that our schools follow in that trend and continue the teaching of courtesy and nurture its value.
I also assume that our ties to other souls on this planet reflect our belief system about the nature of courtesy and its relevance in maintaining healthy relations.
Hopes aside, the reality is daunting when one sees how the lack of courtesy is rampant in our society. A door gets slammed on a student by the Head of School no less, a friendship faces darkness when boundaries are crossed, an ex-lover goes out of his way to be hurtful and disrespectful as a result of his pained experience, two cars parked in the middle of an intersection to "chat" while a line up of cars builds up, the gardener mowing the client's lawn and polishing off the raspberry patch, the car that drives by a quaint suburban town tossing a banana peel out the window, the dog walker who fails to pick up his pet's droppings from a neighbour's lawn or the hate mail received on a dating site because the profile was unappealing to the senses.
Truth is, the list can be endless.
Can we watch our actions in the next 48 hours and see if we model courtesy in our daily interactions?
Are we proud of who we are?
Are we truly courteous?
Or are we "selectively" courteous?
Courtesy begins with ME.
