Surely it can't be because I grew up in the south, that courtesy is so important to me. Courtesy is so easy. It's like smiling or breathing. Being hateful and mean takes work and it's not an easy job! Now I know there's nothing less than a thousand unspoken and unwritten rules when it comes to courtesy. But nonetheless even bothering to be slightly courteous these days seems to be to much of a bother for most.

When did this happen? You can't blame it on disagreements, we will all disagree on something at one time or another. You can't blame it on changing times because really what difference does that make since we are all humans and all fallen short of the mark at some point. I really can't fault bad parenting, for every bad parent out there you will find a wonderful child that overcame them. So when did this happen?

I think the reason why, it is NOT so apparent is because it occurred slowly over time. Kinda like a really good bottle of wine that slips up on you after a couple of glasses then all the sudden you realize you better not drive. However, I do think this has happened over the past 100 years and the only thing that offers up a pulse is vanity and pride. It is impossible to be courteous when you are in love with yourself. It is impossible because when you hold your beliefs in higher regard than the well being of humanity you no longer are human. Hence, when someone offends your love of yourself you seek revenge or an eye for eye. What was it that Gandhi said?..... "an eye for eye makes the whole world blind".

When a person becomes so involved with themselves as to ignore basic human courtesy it really transforms that person into there own private god. Ruling over others, allowing disdain to build, fueled by the fires of pride. Never before has the human race gained so much in such a short span of time. This should and is something to be humbly proud of but I fear we allow these wonders to lord over our thought process's and wrongfully fill us with false pride.

Ever hear the phrase that enthusiasm is contagious? Well it works in the opposite way too. The less courteous you are to others the more you become less courteous and the more hateful you get. Maybe it would be helpful if everyone took a moment to remember that all this technology we hold so dear could be wiped away with just one natural disaster. Then what would we have left? We would have each other. We would need courtesy more than ever. Through time, it would seem we knew this, even though now we seem to of forgotten. We used to call it many things, such as honor and other names. Being a gentlemen or a lady. Now days we call it being weak. What a shame.

 Being courteous transcends all religions and societies. I fear if we don't find a way to reincorporate it back into our lives we will be at our end. Tolerance, compromise and courtesy, just a thing of the past? Or can it pave the way of our future.

But Hey! What do I know? I'm just a plumber!