I know we have turned into an extremely casual and informal society. Because of this lackadaisical attitude, manners have fallen to the wayside and common courtesy seems to be too much to ask for.
I’m not simply talking about drivers throwing cigarette butts out their windows or people so lazy while in a public setting they can’t hold onto a piece of garbage until a trash can is found, but lay it on top of a plastic sack recycling bin. Close enough, right?
I’m talking about manners. I’m talking about the simple dos and don’ts while in public. I’m talking about a little thing called respect for others. Where or where has it gone?
Now I’m not naive enough to expect all mankind to have perfect manners. I know there are thousands of jerks out there who aren’t nice and don’t care about others around them. But I guess I never thought there could be so many in one tiny high school auditorium.
I recently attended a dance recital. Having been in dance for 12 years while growing up I’m a sucker for a good recital -- and besides the unfortunate costume choices dance teachers pick for the heavier students it’s nice to see not much has changed.
Speaking as a former heavy child who endured several years of unfortunate costume selections I’d just like to throw out there that lycra spandex, no matter how much it may stretch, is not attractive on anyone who is even remotely overweight. A form-fitting bodysuit for a girl of this stature is never a good idea, no matter how big of a tutu you put around it. But I digress.
Not much has changed since my time unless you’re talking about the audience members. From the family behind me with the box of Gobstoppers they were incessantly eating during the performance to the little boy in front of me with his feet on the seats playing a video game on his father’s cell phone, I was appalled. Those hard little candies make an annoying sound when sliding up and down their cardboard box not to mention the chatter of “Who wants more?” and the children complaining they couldn’t see what color they got because it was dark.
I know I wasn’t at a Broadway play. I know I shouldn’t expect small children to sit for hours in small spaces and not be annoying, but to eat candy and play phone games was too much. The foul taste in my mouth from these acts of poor manners only grew when the woman in front of me (her son was the one playing with daddy’s phone) was e-mailing from her Blackberry every five minutes. The electric glow of a phone display is far more distracting than stage moms with their constant flash cameras.
Could this woman be so busy and such an important figure she couldn’t put her phone down for three hours while watching her daughter’s dance company perform? Are we that desperate for a distraction we have to consistently rely upon technology? Have we become that rude?
Yes, we have.
What would she have done 10 years ago without her precious Blackberry to stay connected? What would her kid have done without the entertainment of electronic games? I shutter to think of it – perhaps pay attention and suffer through the production like those of us with actual manners? Perish the thought.
Not only were personal hand devices rampant during the show but the lack of appropriate attire was also an issue. From clingy clothes some would only see while clubbing in Miami to those who couldn’t even bother to put on pants without an elastic band, I saw it all.
There’s a problem when society treats an arts production the same as a Sunday errand run to Wal-Mart. You are not sitting at home eating Oreos and watching the OC on SoapNet. It’ is not OK to wear sweatpants, a sweatshirt and tennis shoes to an event.
Show some respect. Show some class. Show anything except for your plumber’s crack when bending over to pick up a dropped Gobstopper.
This is when I noticed a very large woman wearing jeans and a T-shirt saying “I got sole” being disruptive. She was with a handful of other people, all dressed very casually, being loud as well. It was probably when one of her companions got up and left with one of their disruptive children for the third time, came back in and yelled, “That’s OK, she’s just being bad because she’s tired,” that I wanted to stand up, fly down four rows of people and confront the situation.
But I didn’t – because I have manners. I sat there. I sat there and took all the poor fashion choices, the candy eating and the cell phone using and vowed to myself if I ever have children they will not behave this way. They will not turn into adults who think the world and all its events revolve around them.
By that time society will be so laid back bringing in a fast food meal and eating it while watching a recital will be looked at as OK. There will probably be candy rolling down the aisles, feet on every seat and technology so advanced you can DVR the event while not missing a beat on your social network and watch your child’s dance later, in the privacy of your own home. We’re in trouble.
No comments:
Post a Comment