What happened to "Can I help you"

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Maybe its the fact that I was raised with older parents but I was taught basic manners. Also living in the south we tend to be chatty folks. In my small town you can end up in lively conversations with people in the oddest places. I learned the most interesting things about a waitress I had today...lol. I shop the same places so we get used to seeing each other and pass small talk while checking out. Even the guys who stock the shelves are polite and friendly. This can get me strange looks when I start chatting to strangers from say...the north east. I dont think they are quite used to people stopping to talk to them...lol.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Janet

You're right. I can find rudeness while shopping, but these same people you can pass on the street and you'll wind up having a drawn out conversation. lol

I remember when we first moved to this little town. Complete strangers would strike up conversations with us all of the time. While surprised, I recognized it for what it was small town hospitality, but husband and the kids it actually shook up for a while. Still does although they've become quite used to it. As a child I grew up in a city, but Gramma tended to stay around the small towns. husband and the kids had always lived in a large city so had never experienced it.

But get 'em in a grocery store and it can be a whole different matter. sigh

Although we have this one elderly gentleman. I don't think he has any family living near him. Sweetest man you could ever hope to meet. easy child first met him working at Ponderosa. But this man roams the town (probably out of boredom or lonliness) and chats with people, but his favorite thing to do is to think up cute little jokes. Often he has homemade props. We always get a laugh and make a point to have a conversation with him. The grands think he's wonderful and always love his jokes. (all innocent by the way) He likes to make people smile.

But I've heard people comment that he is weird or out of his mind or senile. While the man is probably sharper than all of them put together.:pouting:
 

meowbunny

New Member
OMG ... A revelation!!!! I KNOW why we have problem children -- we EXPECT them to be polite and that's just asking too much of them. Silly us.

Quick! Find the little boy who held open the door and talk to his mother. She'll need this board sooner than later. Just watch and see.

Star, thank you for giving this little ray of light. At least now I have some idea of what I've been doing wrong.

(If you can't tell, another one who thinks politeness is important. Being civil takes so little and can make such a huge difference in someone's day.)
 

meowbunny

New Member
Okay, now to tell a story about something that happened today that not only surprised me but made me feel so good. I had my hair cut at the local beauty school.

When it came time to pay, I discovered I didn't have any cash on me. I'd just opened a new checking account so didn't have a debit card and didn't want to put it on my credit card. I offered to write a check but they don't take checks and it was too late to go to the bank. The girl sweetly told me to come back in the morning and pay my bill -- she'd just mark it as paid for tonight. She did say, "Please come back because if you don't I'll have to pay it."

Guess who's going in there first thing in the morning with a rose for this young woman to say thank you!

Who wudda thunk this kind of trust still exists?
 

Abbey

Spork Queen
On a positive note, I do encounter many kids who take a sample and say thank you, or hold a door open for me. It's nice to see there is SOME hope out there. It's the older people who seem to have an attitude. Maybe it's years of 'life'.

Abbey
 
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