Manners. It's all about how you say it, not what you say. I don't understand kids today, or the parents who raise them. I sound like an old curmudgeon, but wha-fuck? When did we stop teaching the meaning of please and thank you? I mean, come on, is it so hard to say "Please may I have that?" Seriously. I'm bartending last night, which, despite the cold, the being January, and the serious no smoking bylaw, turned out to be a pretty good night, and I'm serving the usual cast of characters. Some of 'em are good friends, and polite, good tippers and all round decent folks. And when they order, they say, "Can I have a rye and coke?" I don't get it. I've been one Blanche away from alcohol poisoning, and I still manage to slur out, May I have a Blanche please? Is it because i'm old? Because my parents raised me right? *L* Or is it just changing times that I've got to adapt to? Well, bottom line's this. If you can't tip, that's cool, just say please. But if you walk up to me at my bar and say "Gimme a Bud!", guess what? Your beer is going to be eight bucks! (but I will say thank you ;) )
Thank you is the other one. I have double fold training for that. If you are ever in a McDonalds, and get a chance to listen to the chatter going on in the kitchen, listen for the staff to say "thank you". They are trained that way, to say it as recognition when they hear or understand something. Know why? Cos it sounds nice. They don't say "yeah" or "got it" or "okay". They say Thank you. And I do that now, all the time. If a customer on the phone tells me I'm a fucktard idjit cos they don't know their cell phone from their asshole, I say thank you. It sounds nice. And can mean the same thing as fuck you, but it's all about manners and how you say it.
Of course, I say thank you for real, lots, too. It's gotta be done! How can you not thank someone when they've done something to make you smile, make you laugh, make you happy, make you feel special? You gotta thank 'em, man, cos who knows, that missed thank you might be your last shot at it. If it means something to you, thank the person who did it, dammit! Okay, end of lecture....
Thank you Brent, for the webcam I still haven't hooked up. Thank you Neal, for sharing the Tiny Toons; thank you Mick, for all those things, and you know what they are; thank you Jax, for the smiles. Thank you all my friends here in the Queen city, for brunch, tea, movies, tv nights, bar fun, mocking, drag shows, quotes, silliness, cocktails and more than I can possibly say. Thank you list sibs far and wide, for showing me I'm not crazy, for sharing your gifts, your obsessions, your fears and dreams, your families, friendships, children, loves, hates and stories. Thank you for listening to me, believing in me, and staying with me when I needed it most.
Oi, my thank you list could go on adum infinitum (or is that adum nauseum *L*) but suffice to say, please don't forget your manners, please be sure to always tell the people you love that you do, and thank you in advance for your attention in this matter....