Older Folks/Country Folks/Old School Manners

[Ruger#3]

“The gentleman does not needlessly and unnecessarily remind an offender of a wrong he may have committed against him. He cannot only forgive, he can forget; and he strives for that nobleness of self and mildness of character which impart sufficient strength to let the past be but the past. A true man of honor feels humbled himself when he cannot help humbling others.”

Robert E. Lee

 

[Oldstick]

To be clear definitely not a south GA unique thing. I only put that in the title because that's where I grew up. I sort of figured the highway waving might be unique to very rural areas of the world where you might meet 3 cars on the road and probably know them all unless you are just passing through.

And thinking a little more, I recall it is mostly male drivers doing the hand move. Most commonly those driving trucks and such. Probably most women justifiably use a little more caution about drawing attention out on the road from likely total strangers.

 

[shawnrice]

I told an older man the other day 'well thank you sir '' he replied young man its been a long time since I've heard that ,I replied well thanks its been a long time since I've been called a young man too .
We both had a good laugh
I still offer respect to others its just the way I was raised ,I'm 56 and still call everyone Mam ,Sir and so on ,its just natural to me to do so I guess , lots of Older ladies always say ...You sure are a Southern Gentleman , in my opinion it is a southern thing ,I have some pure yankee Brother in Laws and there just rude people ..no filter to them and dont care about no one else ,just fowl towards people

 

[flynlow]

I was raised that way too but the older I get (60, barely made boomer status) and the more I know about the generations that have followed mine, the less I like them, esp when they vote for socialism, racism, and democrat policies in general. I will respect them when they respect me and stop blaming me for their woes and nonsense just because I'm a white male boomer. Now get off my lawn. There I said it.

 

[DannyW]

Those traits are just second nature to me.

I once read about a man from the south that opened the door for a woman up north somewhere.

She let him have it. "I hope you are not opening that door for me because I'm a woman and you think I am too weak to do it myself. What are you, a danged male chauvinist???"

He replied "No ma'am, I am opening the door for you because I'm a gentleman."

There is another...uh...practical reason for holding the door for a women and letting her go in before you. It's because you don't have eyes in the back of your head...if you get what I'm saying.

 

[WOODIE13]

South Dakota, Kansas, Missouri, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia do the wave at oncoming vehicles.

Manners aren't by region and can definitely can tell when kids grew up without belt or switching a time or three.

 

[gma1320]

Not that way so much in Taliaferro co. Some of the blacks old grudges towards whitey. And Taliaferro is the lowest populated County in Ga.

I can say it wasn’t that way I lived there, we all waved when we passed by in a car. Of course that it has been about 10 years since I lived there.

 

[baddave]

I can say it wasn’t that way I lived there, we all waved when we passed by in a car. Of course that it has been about 10 years since I lived there.

The whites do. I will add, my best friend out there is a black guy

 

[leroy]

I was brought up just to not cuss period. I'm not claiming that I've never let 1 or 12 slip out but I don't make a habit of it.

Same here

 

[livinoutdoors]

I was raised that way too but the older I get (60, barely made boomer status) and the more I know about the generations that have followed mine, the less I like them, esp when they vote for socialism, racism, and democrat policies in general. I will respect them when they respect me and stop blaming me for their woes and nonsense just because I'm a white male boomer. Now get off my lawn. There I said it.

Hey yall raised em. Now get off MY gen xer lawn.

 

[Doboy Dawg]

My office is in Atlanta. You would be surprised at the weird looks I get when I say “sir” or “ma’am”. It almost like some folks get offended by it.

I had er um one lady and I use that term loosely that I said Yes mam to, politely tell me I’m not a mam and don’t you ever say that to me again! I replied Yes mam, and walked off.

You could see her eyes bulging

 

[Baroque Brass]

It doesn’t cost a thing to be nice, polite, and respectful to others. Then there’s the old saying about catching more flies with honey than vinegar. It’s my nature to be nice to folks and consider them a friend, until they give me a reason not to.

 

[Ruger#3]

I had er um one lady and I use that term loosely that I said Yes mam to, politely tell me I’m not a mam and don’t you ever say that to me again! I replied Yes mam, and walked off.

You could see her eyes bulging

She will end up a dried up old spinster that can’t figure out why she can't get a man. This over the top feminism doesn’t override a man’s need to be masculine and good man.

 

[JustUs4All]

Reminds me of one happening when I was much younger. I held a door open for a female who in a pretty cocky voice told me and everyone else within earshot that she was perfectly capable of opening her own door. I replied, "Not if I get there first."
I got some chuckles out of that one.

 

[ditchdoc24]

I think you have to be raised to show respect for those around you. However, how you show that is different based on where you're from. I was born and raised in Washington DC and my parents were both from Upstate NY. I was raised to be polite and respectful to adults and I am still that way. However, when I moved to Georgia, I learned to wave when I pass another car and I learned a bunch more Southern courtesies that I still use daily.

That is how respect is shown in the South. It may not be like that where I came from but it is still expected here so that's what I do. My in-laws occasionally mentioned that they thought I was being too hard on my kids when they were growing up. But they always had a little grin on their faces when they got compliments on how well-mannered and respectful my kids are.

 

[Oldstick]

For me, the problem with Yes Ma'm and Yes Sir is it's such an ingrained response I blindly blurt out the wrong one on occasion. I'm forced to really concentrate hard on the situation before opening my mouth.

Then there are other situations like "Why did you old geezer just call me a Ma'm?"

 

[Baroque Brass]

Younger folks, especially of a particular demographic, don’t have respect for others. My wife and I were in a restaurant when a young couple sat near us and every other word they said seemed to f this and mf that. We were about done anyway so we left.

 

[Dub]

Respect is a lost concept by many these days.

Seldom earned yet often demanded.

The erosion of values is proportional to the decline of family structure and absence of discipline in the household.

I also believe we have stepped further away from demonstrating to our kids the importance of having their own relationship with God.

The behaviors that parents model is what is passed along.

 

[Core Lokt]

I believe it's the SE US with the manners. Except South of Gainesville Fl where all of the Yankey's have moved too.

 

[fishfryer]

Respect is a lost concept by many these days.

Seldom earned yet often demanded.

The erosion of values is proportional to the decline of family structure and absence of discipline in the household.

I also believe we have stepped further away from demonstrating to our kids the importance of having their own relationship with God.

The behaviors that parents model is what is passed along.

That is as good a quick explanation as I’ve ever heard.