Did you know that every year, March 21 is National Common Courtesy Day? Yup—a full day devoted to reviving those little niceties that Mom drilled into your head. But, uh, just a teensy problem here…
Well, hmmmm, I know that most of MY readers are far beyond that stuff. Saying excuse me? Not interrupting? Letting the pregnant woman on the train have your seat? Puh-lease—you folks have got. It. Covered.
So let’s take it further.
I’m declaring an Uncommon Courtesy Day. You know—the things you don’t have to do, the ones no one would miss—like running ahead to get the door for someone with a stroller; giving the only parking spot to the other driver, even though you saw it first; tipping when there isn’t a tip jar; straightening unruly chairs before leaving the café; reloading the tp dispenser in a public restroom; properly re-shelving a book from the overloaded library cart. Easy peasy, right?
And if you’re caught red-handed in the middle of an uncommon courtesy? If someone thanks you with a look of shock and surprise on her face, don’t miss your opportunity—tell her to pass it on. After all, it IS a holiday.
So what’s your uncommon courtesy for the day?
Well, my uncommon courtesy for the day was — I held the door for an elderly woman at the post office and then let her go ahead of me in line, and also told the woman who was putting her mail in the slot that she was there before me and let her go ahead of me as well. Does that count???
I sew. I sew aprons and sell them at our local Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. One Saturday morning a gentleman came by and asked me if I could help him with a sewing job on some chair cushions. He went home, got them and brought them by our vendor booth. I could hardly believe that anyone would actually would leave something in such deplorable condition! I took them home, took out those awful mistakes and fixed them like they should be. I decided not to charge anything for my time and work. Told the gentleman there was no charge and would he pass the favor on to someone else.
What a wonderful story. Keep up the good work and thanks for reminding us that manners do count.
Have a wonderful day.
Every day at work I clean the break room and do the dishes other seem to think will wash themselves. I hate walking into a cluttered and dirty break room so when I leave it’s at least clean for the next person who comes in 🙂
Until Recently I worked in a hometown convenience store. Since we opened at 5:30 in the morning, we got all the laborers and the kids going to school. I tried to always say “good morning with a smile and a heartfelt ” Have a good day”. It may sound hokie, but one day a young man on his way to a menial job looked at me and said, “That’s probably the only time I’ll hear that today.”
Today we were in a clothing store. A lady walked by with her hands full and the handle of her bag caught on some clothing/hangers on a rack. I immediately helped unhook her and re-hung the clothes on the rack. She was amazed that I helped her and thanked me several times. I like to help when I see the need. It feels good and makes the world a better place. I always remember a line from the song Hands by Jewel:
“In the end, only kindness matters” . I believe that.