Respect and civility

I was out at a branch the other day, replacing a crashed hard drive. A young man caught my eye. He was obviously in the military, as he was dressed in his camos. But what really stuck out was that his hat was in his hand, not on his head. Certainly, he wore it en route to the bank, and made the effort to remove it upon entering. It would not surprise me that if I were to speak to him, he would answer "yes sir" or "no sir" to a direct question I might have for him.

That is a courtesy you don't see much anymore. People can't be bothered any more to remove their hats when entering a place of business or someone's home. At one time it was a common sign of respect a gentleman would observe. Now hat's stay on heads (all too often with the bill facing the wrong way I might add).

And I admit I am often guilty of non-chivalrous behavior. I forget to hold doors for my wife when entering a building. If my 17-year old son is with us he will remind me though. Perhaps this young soldiers example will stay with me and remind me to behave respectfully towards other people and when in a business.

Keep Grinning!