2008 Woodie Awards
There are no more manners
Joshua Cameron
Issue date: 11/10/06 Section: Opinion
Originally published: 11/9/06 at 5:54 PM EST
Last update: 11/9/06 at 5:54 PM EST
At a young age, many of us found ourselves bombarded with the idea of manners from all aspects of our simple lives.
From Sesame Street telling us to chew with our mouths closed to a big purple dinosaur telling us to share out toys with other children, the focus of a good portion of our day was spent learning how we should act.
For most of us, our parents played the largest role in that department. From dusk until dawn we faced endless stories of why we should act a certain way, the most common reason being, "Because I said so, that's why."
Still, whether we knew it then or not there was a great deal of substance in the wise words of our parental figures.
The ideas that we were introduced to at that impressionable age have helped to shape our ideas and lifestyle that we have today. Imagine if our mothers or fathers had never told us the importance of being polite and not speaking when someone else is trying to speak.
Imagine if we had never learned that is rude to make distracting noises when a room full of people are trying to concentrate on something else.
Imagine if we had never learned those simple courtesies. One could only guess at what the world might be like.
After attending a showing of "The Mouse Trap", I think I have a good idea of what it would be like. Apparently when a performance is advertised to begin at 8 p.m. it means the show will start at 8 p.m. for the majority of the attendees, while those of you who can't seem to make that time trickle in for the first half hour of the show. Perhaps I just missed that footnote on the press release. Nothing is more enjoyable then trying to follow and engaging scene of the play while somebody walks all over your feet saying, "Excuse me, I'm sorry."
If you're so sorry then why are you walking in front of me right now?
After the latecomers find somewhere to sit after walking up and down several aisles, it seems as if that everything is taken care of and the focus can return to the performance.
From Sesame Street telling us to chew with our mouths closed to a big purple dinosaur telling us to share out toys with other children, the focus of a good portion of our day was spent learning how we should act.
For most of us, our parents played the largest role in that department. From dusk until dawn we faced endless stories of why we should act a certain way, the most common reason being, "Because I said so, that's why."
Still, whether we knew it then or not there was a great deal of substance in the wise words of our parental figures.
The ideas that we were introduced to at that impressionable age have helped to shape our ideas and lifestyle that we have today. Imagine if our mothers or fathers had never told us the importance of being polite and not speaking when someone else is trying to speak.
Imagine if we had never learned that is rude to make distracting noises when a room full of people are trying to concentrate on something else.
Imagine if we had never learned those simple courtesies. One could only guess at what the world might be like.
After attending a showing of "The Mouse Trap", I think I have a good idea of what it would be like. Apparently when a performance is advertised to begin at 8 p.m. it means the show will start at 8 p.m. for the majority of the attendees, while those of you who can't seem to make that time trickle in for the first half hour of the show. Perhaps I just missed that footnote on the press release. Nothing is more enjoyable then trying to follow and engaging scene of the play while somebody walks all over your feet saying, "Excuse me, I'm sorry."
If you're so sorry then why are you walking in front of me right now?
After the latecomers find somewhere to sit after walking up and down several aisles, it seems as if that everything is taken care of and the focus can return to the performance.
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