Some things you should not do

Title

Language

English

Year

1941

Subject

Courtesy.

Etiquette.

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

NOVEMBER, 1941 THE YOUNG CITIZEN CHARACTER AND CITIZENSHIP SECTION SOME THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO • NOT LONG AGO I sat at my desk writing a not.,which I wished an upper class boy to carry to a friend. · The boy was standing nearby, waiting for me to finish the note which I was writing. I happened to glance up at the youngster, and what do you tlaink he was doing? He was standing there, reading my note as I was. writing it. That is a, common practice here·in the Philippines. Boys, girls, young men, and even grown-ups frequently stand and read what a person is writing while it is being written. Readers of THE YOUNG_ CITIZEN, let me tell you that it is very, very impolite to do such a thing. You should never, never stand at a person's elbow and read anything that is being written. It is a practice all too common among Filipinos, who often do it because they do not know, apparently, that they are being exceedingly impolite by being guilty of such man to eat at my home, for he did one of the worst thrngs possible in table manners. Boys and girls, never stand 'up at the table and lean over to reach for food. It is very, very rude to do such a thing, and refined people ne~er do it. Only a person who is very ignorant of proper table manners would do such a thing. If in need of food when you are at the table, simply say to a servant or to some one nearby, " Please pass the meat," and then wait quietly until it is passed to you. Let me bring to your attention another example of rudeness: Recently I was ·passing on the walk at the side of a street. Several boys and girls were standing on the walk in front of a house talking to each other. The entire space was occupied by them, so in order to continue it was necessary for me to get off the walk and go around them, unless they were polite e'nough to move to one side so that I could an action. pass. NEVER stand near a .person who is Did those young people move to one writing and read what is being written. side so that I· might pass and not be If you do such a thing, you are very, very obliged to get off the walk? Indeed they ill bred, to say the least, and it is certain- did not! What an example of rudeness! ly a thing you should never do. H ow impolite these boys and girls were! A f.ew months ago I invited a young When I saw how impolite they were, I man, who is attending a college, to eat dinner at my home. During the dinner stopped and said, "Young people, you this young man wished to have some food are very impolite. You are e~tremely ill which was on the table at a little distance bred. Do you own the walk m the front from his pla\e. T he young man did not , of this building? I would be ashamed to say "P lease pass the meat"-which is be so rudl' and impolite if I were you." what he should have said-but instead he' "Excuse us, sir. We will try· not to be stood up, leaned over the table, and helped so impolite again," one of the boys said. himself to what he wished. I certainly hope that he and the others I shall never again invite that young remember his words.

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