I apologize ahead of time if I sound a little preachy in today's blog. But gee whiz, I've got something to say.
In the last week, I have been witness to some horrible manners by adults. I won't bore you with the details, but let me say that twice in a week I've seen many, many drivers park over the line in already crowded parking lots in order to take up 2 parking spaces. How terribly inconsiderate, right? One lot was filled to capacity (with 15 cars parked in two spaces), and we missed a special event.
Ok, I've said it and now I feel a little better.
But it really got me thinking. Why do I see better manners from kids than from adults? I'm totally serious. 99.9% of the kids I see at the library display way better manners than adults.
So I applaud you young people. Thank you for saying "thank you." Thanks for waiting your turn. Thanks for saying "please" and "excuse me." It means a lot. Showing good manners is a way of being kind. And we can all use a little kindness, right?
This all reminds me of Laurie Keller's great book Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners. Mr. Rabbit is worried when otters move in next door because he doesn't know how to treat them. He get some very wise advise: Do unto otters as you would have otters do unto you. (That's the Golden Rule, of course.) Not only do Mr. Rabbit and the otters get along wonderfully, they work together and thereby create a peaceable kingdom. You'll find this wonderful book in the children's section of lots of SSJCPL libraries. I'm wondering if we should put it in the adult collection.
Again, I'm sorry for being preachy. But bad manners make me sad!
So to you wonderful readers who visit the library and always use perfect manners, I say thank you! Keep it up. You're making the world a much nicer place.
Happy Reading!
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