Proper Ladies & Gentleman (Cont.)

"Well, I must've missed the passage in Emily Post that says 'All abuse is heaped on the mother of the bride.'" Well, okay, that's just a quote from the incredibly funny movie "Steel Magnolias. But speaking o Emily Post, does anon even know who she is today? She wrote the book (literally) on etiquette. What is etiquette? I don't know... That's the thing. I'd have to look the word up in the dictionary before I could tell you what it means. I just remember always believing that etiquette would be something I'd never have any use for. Etiquette meant knowing which fork to pick up during a very fancy, multiple course meal, or folding your pretty cloth napkin correctly (the one you went outside & blew your nose on). :) Well goodness...we live in world of paper plates, napkins & cups. My family eats dinner sitting on the living room sofa in front of the TV, while texting on their phone--as I know many people do. We've never had the sort of lifestyle that would give us the need for multiple forks and cloth napkins. :). But anyway, etiquette means so much more than that...and I have a feeling it's sorta like history. When I was required to learn about it in school, I could not have cared less...because I couldn't see why it was important. To me, these were just a bunch of events that had already happened, so why were we going over them now... Again?? Maybe etiquette is the same way. I can address someone (for example) any way I want, so why is it important (anyway, whose to say) what is the proper way to address certain people? But I've been thinking about this idea that I've talked about earlier in the blog of being "proper ladies and gentleman.". No I'm not thinking anything along the lines of eighteenth century British Aristocrasy. I'm speaking of simply being as well mannered as possible, gentle, kind, self controlled. So, I believe another look at the Biblical fruits of the spirit is in order as well. :). It would seem to me that (simply put), etiquette is a set of rules that teach us how to behave ourselves. However, right there is that ugly R word that most people (myself included) do not like. This is why, many people probably stay away from etiquette, (if they know what it is) :). Anyway, I want to look further into the subject...