I write in Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic that "common courtesies are the Manners 101 of the etiquette world". They are the basic courtesies that we extend each other each day that make the world a more pleasant place. Common courtesies can be as simple as saying please and thank you, or they can be more complex like helping someone in need or offering refreshments to a guest. I have noticed that common courtesies in our society have taken a decline in recent years. Have you noticed this too?
This week, I have three stories for you from my personal life that have to do with common courtesies. This will be a fun discussion to have, so please leave your thoughts in the comment section below. I want to hear it all- the good news and the bad! Do you have any encouraging stories to share? Any common courtesy horror stories? Chime in below and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week.
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News
Huffington Post travel mentions me in their article, 8 Travel Etiquette Tips to Get You Off The Ground.
Castlephile Travels writes about Lessons from Madame Chic in her article called, Simple Pleasures.
Comments of the Week
Pauline D writes: I must tell you a most embarrassing story!! We are in France at the moment and I wanted to get my hair cut. As there always seem to be a lot of hairdressers around I thought it probably wouldn't be necessary to make an appointment and so today when we were shopping at the Leclerc there was a hairdresser in the mall ........let me back up and tell you what I decided to wear today....As it's still cool I put on a long paneled skirt in a grey weave, my leather boots (so far, so good) and then, although we were going to town I figured as it's cold I would keep my coat on so I decided to pull on a grotty old white long sleeved t-shirt (why do I still have it you ask...) and a dusty purple short sleeve t-shirt over the top with my camel coloured corduroy short belted coat. I figured that as we drove into town I could always pop back to the motor home and change if it got warmer. Well, the hairdresser was able to cut my hair right there and then, no appointment necessary.......and she asked me for my coat!! To say that she audibly gasped when I took my coat off would be an exaggeration, but her eyebrows definitely rose and she did give my a funny look - I think she thought I'd forgotten to take my pyjama top off. I could have crawled in a hole. So ladies, lesson learned, if you're layering, make sure the underneath layers are as presentable as the outer layers!! (In my defense I will say that a lot of my staples were in the wash......but I'm sure I could have come up with something more presentable).
Pauline, I appreciate your bravery for telling this humorous story! I think we all have a story like this from our past. I know I have many! It's something to laugh at and learn from.
Marla W writes: I learned from your books, Jennifer, how to dress up even simple food by setting a beautiful table. I made a simple soup for a friend for lunch and put on some nice jazz music and welcomed her graciously. She was so enthralled by how she was treated by me that she wrote a lengthy thank you card about how special it made her feel. You are right, it's not about having fancy things, it's about using our best to say to our guest, "you are important to me." I do this with my sons and husband too, and they love it!
Hi Marla, the lunch you made for your friend sounds so special. I'm glad that it made a meaningful impression on her too! Thanks for sharing your story with us.
Amy M writes: For my birthday last week a sweet friend gave me your first book, Lessons from Madame Chic and even at 50 years old, I'm enjoying perusing the pages, remembering my many trips to Europe. Having been reared in the deep South, we still carry on many of the formal traditions, especially at mealtime. But, as Americans, we have sadly lost the art of the life well lived! Thanks for reminding me to continue to teach my three teenage daughters define art of living passionately and beautifully!
Thank you, Amy and happy birthday!
Lisa P writes: I had a similar background to you Jennifer; lots of classical music and lots of books. But, honestly, it was Nancy Drew ( don't laugh) who opened my eyes to intentionally good behavior. I loved her and still do. Nancy had manners, took pride in her appearance, and handled tough situations with grace and poise. I still read those books to remind myself to act my best and try my best. And I'm 53!
Hi Lisa, I loved your comment because Nancy Drew was a big influence for me too! I read every book in the series and still look at them every now and then. Nancy Drew sure had class.
I receive so many interesting comments each week and am not able to feature all of them, so be sure to check out what your fellow connoisseurs are saying on the blog, YouTube channel and social media sites. Chime in this week and let me know your thoughts on common courtesies. Do you have any common courtesy stories to share with us?
See you soon!
Jennifer x
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