Ecotrain QOTW: Does the saying "You should respect your elders" still hold true today?
I am Not a Lemon!
I remember as a child, this elderly man holding a door open for my parents.
My older brother and me and my parents said ‘thank you’ and my brother said ‘thank you’ and I didn’t as my parents and brother had already said thank you, they didn’t need my thanks as well.
As I walked away I heard him mutter very loudly “I am a not a lemon, I’m not holding this door open for you for my health, kids, today have no respect.”
I turned around when I heard him say that and he said “yes, you have no respect.”
I have no idea why this scenario is sketched on my memory, but the amount of times I say to my own kids that “I am not a lemon” is quite a lot.
Respect is a Dying Art…
I think that respect for elders is definitely dying out.
It is not just respect, it is people being polite and courteous towards other each other.
Most of us end up with the attitude if people aren’t respectful and courteous towards us, why should we bother?
I am part of the last generation who sees the importance of it and respecting other people and their boundaries etc.
Even, now I am one of the few mums who will make their children stand to the side to let other people past or move the buggy out the way if needed and I most definitely do not (intentionally) block the whole pavement or aisle in a supermarket.
I am also aware of people behind me and I will make sure that I move out the way of them too so that we don’t hold them up either.
It’s not to say I haven’t done it when I’m in world cuckoo land, but as a general rule, I make a point of being respectful of other people and their boundaries when I am out and about and they don’t have to be necessarily older.
The kids and I even say thank you to the car owners that stop on the zebra crossings for us, even though they are meant to anyway, but so many don’t, so we are genuinely appreciative when they do stop!
Even if you offer to let someone go in the queue before you in a supermarket because they only have a couple of things and they say ‘no’, it makes you wonder why you bother.
But today, people are selfish and pay no heed to their surroundings.
It is as if they live life in a bubble oblivious to the world around them.
Politeness Costs Nothing
There are few people left who seem to think politeness costs nothing.
Even people in customer service roles have questionable attitudes, but that is a whole other kettle of fish.
I think I might have ranted enough!
There is a lot to get out of respect for your elders, many life lessons, interesting tales and not living with regrets.
But if you don’t want to hear “when I was a child, people used to have respect…” stories, then you know what you need to do!
Bet there are some fun stories to hear from this elder…
Dying arts can be brought back from extinction.
Love as always @hopehuggs <3 ,<3
Respecting an elder is important in every society. It is an express way of becoming an elder
I LOVE THIS POST! I am one of the few people I know who still values respects for all. I become so deeply offended when a child that knows me doesn't greet me because I always greet their parents and grandparents. This morning while walking to work, I passed by some granny and I greeted her. I thought to myself "what could it be that triggers this automatic response from me every time I see elders?"I can't answer that but I know I feel shitty when I don't do it. Enough ranting. I'll never be done.
I also have an experience as a little boy in my childhood. My elders were getting importance by seniors. They were ignoring me all time because they are elder. Now it is ok.
We need to obey our elders. They are doing so much for us. They know, how to care us.
Wonderful! it makes me smile and my heart open when i read this post.. Thank you Hopehuggs!
Awesome post this is what everyone today should read :)
Well if we work on it a little more and get to say it from our inside it sure will be back within us.
Respect in our generation is almost dead, the same as kindness, that s a shame, in my little world i try to be kind and respectful but not all people do the same as me..
It begins with you and from little things, big things grow. Someone is watching and learning from what you do and you can share with us your thoughts about what we thing about respect by reading our EcoTrain question of the week response on our blog @thegreens
Respecting an elder is important in every society. It is an express way of becoming an elder
this is wisdom!
if you don't want to hear when I was child ......" then you know what to do. That's wisdom and if everyone could teach their children to respect and be polite then we would heal the world sooner than we thought. It costs nothing to respect, appreciate and polite but it makes you happy whenever you do. Its a great piece @hopehuggs and do well to share with us your thoughts about what we think - https://steemit.com/ecotrain/@thegreens/are-you-respecting-your-elders-does-the-saying-you-should-respect-your-elders-still-hold-true-today