Manners

In the world that we live in we are surrounded by things that distract us from the way things used to be. People used to say hi to their neighbors when they passed each other in the hallway or street. Values were based on friends and family instead of money and possessions. People used to talk to each other, not watch TV, or have full conversations instead of words interrupted by text messages or phone calls. We have become so involved in ourselves that we forget about manners, courtesy.

I say this now because of a disconnect I feel, with my friends, my family, and the world. Even as I sit here complaining about the problem I know I am a part of it. I check my phone when someone is talking to me, I use facebook when I am intertaining company, it is such a large part of our society that it is accepted.

As an example; today I was doing tests on a patient, while I was in the middle of a sentence explaining what the test would entail my patient answered his cell phone. Just took it out of his pocket and said hi and started a conversation. Really? Someone is doing a medical test on you and you answer the phone? and what is even more appaling is, someone was having a conversation with this man and he just blatintly interrupted. The human race stuns me sometimes.

So how do we return to the way things used to be? How do we get back the manners, the pleases, thanks yous and your welcomes?

I think it has to begin with mindfulness, thinking about it, and trying to get back to what we used to have. It should be easy, we should like our friends enough to be able to spend a couple of hours with them without checking to see how popular we are. Because really that's what its about, yes we are surrounded by amazing friends and family but its the voice inside our head that says who else wants to talk to me?

So this is my pact, to be mindful of spending time with the people I am physically with. Leaving the cell phone in my purse, checking my email once a day instead of 8 times, leaving Facebook as a once or twice a week event. Cherishing my wonderful friends and giving them my undivided attention, because they are my friends for a reason, I love them.