On Forgetfulness and Rudeness

[katiefoolery]

Bah bah bah!  Why did I spent all my valuable working hours writing blurbs and descriptions for my stories if I was going to forget to email them home so I could start uploading them to my website?  I really don't know the answer to that one.  It's just stupid.  And annoying.  More to the point, this means I can't make any progress on the site until Monday afternoon.

Bah.

Ah well, I suppose it means I can do some more fiddling around with making my own template on WordPress.  And I do have my bio and writing CV here, so I suppose I could upload those.

It's just frustrating.

While we're on things that are annoying me, I want to rant about the stupid kid and his dad at the supermarket the other day.  I was behind the dad in the queue and he'd just finished paying for his groceries when his son joined the line with a bottle of drink that he wanted to buy.  I thought I'd be nice, so I stood aside and said to the kid: "You go next."

Well.  He just gave me a weird, ungrateful look and went right ahead.  I was bewildered.  There wasn't even an attempt at a muttered "thanks".  Even worse was his dad, who said absolutely nothing to his ungrateful wretch of a boy.  He just stood there, unconcerned, while his son was rude and sullen to someone who'd just done something nice to him.  I couldn't believe it.  No wonder half the kids I deal with in the library are nasty little brats if this is how their parents are bringing them up.

I still can't get over that dad.  If it had been my dad... well, for starters, I would have said thank-you without being prompted.  And if I hadn't, my dad would have made sure I did.  Loudly.  And gratefully.  I thought we were supposed to ask what's wrong with the youth of today.  Now it appears we have to ask: "What's wrong with the parents of youth today?"

Is this all part of the "me!" culture that we seem to be developing?  You don't thank people who do nice things for you because of course they're going to do it.  It's for me after all, isn't it?  Everyone should do stuff for me, because I'm great.  Of course I should go ahead of you in the queue, because I'm me.  Of course I should shove my way to the front of the bus line, ahead of the people who already have tickets ready to go, to hold everyone up while I buy mine... because I'm me.  Of course I should expect you to get out of my way, because I'm me.

My parents brought me up to consider other people and not to be selfish.  But I have to tell you, I'm sorely tempted to ignore all of this when people behave so rudely to complete strangers.

Comments

[rigel-7.livejournal.com]

My mother or father would just have had to give me a 'look' and I would have said thank you quick smart.

Speaking of rudeness, my mother was lamenting this the other day. She was at the shops and heard her name called out. It was one of the daughters of a frioend of hers. She just found it very odd that this child would address her by her first name - particularly as she had never been invited to do so.

I don't know about you, but I would never do that. I still have trouble adressing the friends of my parentals by their first names, even when they remind me every time to 'call them Bob/Sheila'

[rilla06.livejournal.com]

That's different with my family. I've always called my mum and dad's friends by their first names. I've never thought to call them by their last. :/

I hate it when people don't say please and thank you, and I'm still a kid :P Then again, my mother is a teacher...

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

I just couldn't do it - it took me ages to even start thinking of my parents' friends by their first names.

Full marks to your mum for teaching you your manners, good Rilla. In the future, you'll probably find that people are so stunned when you're polite to them that they'll go out of their way to help you. We well-mannered few shall rule the world! Well, maybe not. But we can dream.

[rilla06.livejournal.com]

Another reason for my not calling my mum's friends by their last names could be the fact that at primary school, we called the teachers by their first names. :)

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Goodness me, yes. I wouldn't have gotten away with being so rude. And there probably would have been a lecture in the car afterwards, too.

I still find it weird to address my parents' friends by their first names. And I know how you feel when kids address you by your first name. I think: "Well, who said you could do that? Where's your respect?" One of the students at my old work asked if they could call me by my first name and I told them in no uncertain terms that they could not. Where's the point in being grown up if younger people don't give you any respect? That's why I think schools that encourage students to address teachers by their first names are quite misguided. How are students going to respect somebody who's trying to be on the same level as them?

[bethamphetam1ne.livejournal.com]

I still call my best friend of nearly 20 years' parents Mrs and Mr out of sheer habit! Not to mention any old teachers or friends of the family I run into.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

I can't even think of my old teachers by their first names. There was a job going at my old secondary school a while back and I could just imagine myself if I'd got it. I'd be calling all my old teachers "Mr" and "Mrs" whatever, just out of habit.