Excuse Me! These two little words can convey such a lot. While out shopping in the grocery store there was an elderly gentleman looking at a shelf. The rest of the aisle was blocked so I said, Excuse Me and walked in between him and the shelf and got the item I wanted. As I was walking away he said to me, “I can see you’ve got good manners.” He went on to say that people aren’t polite or have manners anymore. They push past, walk in front of you, or just stretch over you when they want to get something without uttering a word. After chatting for a couple of minutes we went our separate ways, but those two words stuck with me.

Excuse Me. Being polite or having manners has always been something that comes naturally to me and my family. From as far back as I can remember we’re taught to say excuse me if you’re going in someone’s way. We say hello, good night, good morning, please and thank you. But until now I had not realized just how much people outside my family circle aren’t as polite or good mannered. Everyone is in such a rush to get what they want, and get where they’re going that for many manners goes out the window.

In this age of technology where we live our lives electronically, we don’t need to be polite or have manners when we interact via email or social media. But we all need to remember that we have to go outside and interact with other people at some point. So, just remember to say Excuse Me, when you’re crossing someones path, it might just make their day. Being polite or being mannerly might just bring you an unexpected surprise.

Enjoy your day

Althea – VYPA