My Biggest Pet Peeve

Many people would say that manners are as quintessential to Southern culture as shrimp and grits, sweet tea, pecan pie, and the classic drawl that I myself find to be more eloquent than provincial. It is a way of life as inlaid as the cobblestones in the streets of Charleston, which I personally find myself tripping over on a regular basis. I, myself, was born and raised in the South. Born into an old Southern political family in Charleston, I learned at an early age that manners were something to be expected, not merely simple pleasantries characteristic of the region or signs of Southern upbringing, often exaggerated in movies like Gone with the Wind. In this blog, I want to address how a lack of manners has become an issue, not only to those raised in the South, but also to those who have come to call the South a second home. Manners are important to everyone. I find that they often go hand-in-hand with respect and impact how a person perceives you. First, I am going to tell you why I feel that a lack of manners has become an issue—and my personal pet peeve. Next, I will propose a possible solution to the problem. So let’s talk about why a lack of manners is one of my biggest pet peeves.
In the place where cotton was once king and “southern hospitality” has become a household name, I have found that some people have simply forgotten the importance of good manners. Whatever happened to that Southern hospitality?...holding the door for someone, saying “please” and “thank you,” saying excuse me when you bump into someone, “yes ma’am” and “yes sir.” Down here in Dixie, it’s not just about being polite; it’s about showing courtesy and respect to other people—treating people how you would want to be treated. It’s demonstrating a kindness that is not cliché that many people have seemed to have forgotten. So now that we see that a lack of manners is a problem, how do we solve it? I believe that the solution is effort. Everyone should make an effort to be polite and courteous to those around them. With manners, it’s almost like a “use it or lose it” phenomenon. If everyone made a conscious effort to show respect and be polite to those around them, after a while it becomes a habit. Also, I am a firm believer in the fact that manners are contagious. Not only could your use of manners brighten someone’s day, but that person just might be more likely to show the same courtesy to someone else. Southern hospitality and manners could definitely have a pay-it-forward effect if everyone made an effort! As you can see, a lack of manners has become a problem, but a little bit of effort can help to solve the problem.
All in all, some people have simply forgotten the importance of good manners, but if everyone makes an effort to be polite and courteous to those around them, we can bring back that famous “Southern hospitality.” Maybe it’s where I’m from, maybe it’s how I was raised, or maybe it’s me, and manners are as big a part of me as those cobblestones in the streets of Charleston. So please excuse me when I say that a lack of manners is my biggest pet peeve…Thanks ya’ll!!!