Manners

It’s inconsequential that manners cost you nothing. Truthfully, please and thank you are meaningless unless you use them correctly. We’ve all ‘politely’ snapped at someone, belligerently attempting to spite them by thanking them in a snide tone when they didn’t hold the door open while you were walking with your hands full.

Use manners correctly, though, and you’ll begin to appreciate their purpose.

My grandma always used to instruct me to say please and thank you, but, truthfully, I never understood why. It felt like some laborious Britishism, a hangover from when ladies and gentlemen were well-to-do.

Though the more I’ve used my manners, the greater my understanding of their importance has become. In certain situations, manners override appearances. Having a shaved head, a couple of tattoos and a reasonably broad frame, sometimes, often with the elderly, people appear unnerved around me. Though, almost without fail, the second I hold a door open for someone, their stare becomes a smile.

While with friends, the meaning of manners is more profound. Simple gestures go beyond their basic interpretations. If you were to consider friendship a love language, acts of service indicate my admiration of those who choose to share their company with me.

There are few feelings I enjoy more than seeing delight illuminate a mate’s face. My flatmate, Connor, has become accustomed to being woken with a morning coffee, and although it’s routine, he always expresses his gratitude immediately. It makes my morning as much as it does his.

Truth be told, I expect to be thanked by friends, but I’m jarred by anything overzealous or egregious. All I ask of you is a simple thanks, maybe a subtle nod or cheers; they all serve the same purpose. That’s when I realised the intention of manners is meaningful. They’re a sign of appreciation, a reflection of your gratitude and ultimately, a signal of respect.

If you’re not grateful, appreciative or respectful of your friends, why bother having them? Friendships need nourishment, and manners are minerals.