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It's really easy to notice how people are rude and careless these days. Many a time I've had to do use my self-taught way of backing through swinging doors at the mall while pulling/pushing the stroller through. I probably could not begin to count the number of times I've been banged into by somebody's oversized purse or shoulder. I've even had people run their grocery carts directly into me in line at the commissary. All without an oops, sorry, or excuse me.

It's easy to see "what this world is coming to" with all these rude, bad-mannered people.

But then yesterday, at Costco, I was walking in from the parking lot carrying Micah in the infant car seat. He's getting really heavy in that for me, so I have to carry it close to my chest with both arms to be able to walk in a semi-homo-sapien fashion. There was a man walking about ten feet in front of me, and as we passed in front of the front row of cars, he saw a cart pushed off into the planter that surrounds the store. He pulled it back onto the sidewalk, turned around, and asked, "Do you need this?" I cheerfully accepted it and thanked him. (Did I mention Micah's getting heaaaavy?)

So, all is not lost. Some people's mothers taught them manners, and it took. I have always made it a point not only to tell Caleb to use good manners, but to use them myself. Lead by example. I often get compliments on it, and sometimes I think that it's sad that well-mannered children are an exception, not a rule, not to mention well-mannered adults.

This might be on my mind more as we hit the "holiday shopping season" - the time of the year when more people are out there with only one thing on their minds - the procurement and accumulation of earthly goods. Is it the mob mentality that throws manners out the window, or is it that those people never had manners to begin with?

In this me-first society we live in, it's not surprising. It's a little disappointing. But there's nothing so simple that shows respect more for other people than saying please, thank you, and excuse me.

So... Excuse me, this is the end of this post. Please come back soon. Thank you!