As I sit...

drinking a coffee after my latest retail therapy trail around the endless shops I begin to question the people I have encountered, I mean I love good old fashioned values such as respect, manners and loyalty, I know when to use my P&Qs, I know when to say sorry and admit that I am wrong, I know that manners cost not a penny and that a smile can bridge a huge gap between people who are strangers, so why do I feel like the only person that was ever taught these basic principles of how to cohabit peacefully together in society and I know that isn’t strictly true, as the majority of you reading this will also have had the same principles instilled into you from a young age as myself, you do exist out there I’m sure, so why on a daily basis do I never come across you, why am I always face to face with those who have missed this early crash course in manners, and there are so many out there, how to do I communicate successfully with them ,well I generally give rude people a wide berth, I ignore the selfish and become despondent to the ignorant which is all well and good but I was raised to embrace everyone and their differences and my behaviour around these people is counter productive of those early teachings, so, do I stoop to their level and forget my manners or do I communicate with them in my own way and feel overly polite or that my behaviour is inappropriate, I wish I knew?
Maybe the old adage ‘ if you cant beat them join them’ would be very apt, but I don’t wish to join them , I want to stand tall and proud, I want to show my manners and my and say thank you with eye contact when I am in the shop, I don’t want to here a muffled mumble from the other being behind the counter whilst I stare at the top his head simply because he hasn’t got the thoughtfulness to actually look up, smile and make eye contact with me for taking my business to his store, it annoys me, its frustrating and then there is the shop assistant who heaves a sigh when a request is made and promptly answers with a “dunno”, I mean, my apologises, I thought you were here to assist, if its too much trouble, then don’t worry you carry on sitting there whilst I try and find another just as endearing team member to dispense the information I require.
Am I just expecting too much? Is it me? I know deep down it isn’t but I am waiting to be proved right, even in here I can here children demanding, a lady complaining and a man throwing insults, I want to stand up and scream to address everyone and ask them be polite to use their manners it appears that in our modern world these good old fashioned basics have been resigned only to the one place that I am beginning to wish that I had descended upon for my coffee, and in there at least I would have got a ‘have a nice day’, touché..