MANNERS: Well said, Syd

In the Sunday, Sept. 12 edition of the Coeur d’Alene Press, the Lifestyles feature story, “History of Manners and Etiquette” by Syd Albright resonated with me.

My parents raised me with proper manners and how to treat others with respect, kindness and understanding. As a little girl, I hosted “tea parties” with my friends and often my Mother or Grandmother would attend these tea parties.

While this is considered play, it also is teaching important lessons on how to serve others, how to have a give-and-take conversation (not to dominate the time), and how to be considerate of others’ preferences (do they want milk and sugar in their tea, do they want the lemon or chocolate cookie).

When I was a teenager, I attended a private school in Sandpoint. One of the classes that was required for the female students was etiquette. We learned how to sit in a chair properly, how to walk gracefully, how to have a moderate tone when speaking, how to listen first and then speak, how to write invitations and thank you notes, how to plan small parties, and many important skills in this area.

As an adult, I have taken much of this training for granted and often assumed that most people had a shared knowledge of these subjects — but only to find that they didn’t. In my regular workday, I often attend meetings where some dominate the conversation to the point that others shut down.

At holidays, it still surprises me to not receive a thank you card for major gifts or even an acknowledgment of the arrival of the gift.

It is my hope that culture, manners and etiquette have not been lost, but as the article points out, it may take older generations to train the younger to keep it alive.

KANDI JOHNSON

Rathdrum