(With thanks to penelopesoasis.com)
An interesting title from a kitty, no? Which could read two ways, “miss manners”, as in I miss manners, or “Miss Manners”, which is that nice lady who writes about the ways anthros should try to behave in social situations and such. Today, I am writing about four words that I feel everyone could use more often, especially kids, because mama wants me to use them and I do (when my head is on straight). Mama’s mama used to say, “You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar”, which means that asking for something with a smile and a “please” will help you toward your goal better than “Gimme that” or “I want that” or just grabbing what you want (as some kids are prone to do; as in MY tail!); and it’s very hard for mama to give anything to a petulant, whining child. HER mama certainly didn’t….
So here’s what mama taught me when I was just a little, new kitty and learning the ways of anthros:
Four words will get you a long way in life, in any language.
Please
Thank you
Hello
Goodbye
It’s so weird to mama and papa when they are introduced to new anthros and the little anthros are also presented and the little ones look all around the room, keeping playing with their IPads, game boys, Iphones (!) or whatever else they are engrossed with and do not even say “hello”!
Unacceptable, behavior like this.
In fact, when I want my breakfast I myow my “please” (along with tugging on mama’s hair or rubbing seductively against any part of her I can find or simply dancing sweetly at door jambs—irresistibly cute, no?) and after I have eaten I myow my “thank you, mama” and she gives me a little caress.
Then, when the doorbell rings and anthros are coming for dinner or just to visit or whatever, I always get up from my chair/couch/under the bed/wherever I am and go to the guests and give them a “hello” by rubbing their ankles or arching my little cute body and tail into “ciao” position; then when they leave, they always say “goodbye, Loulou” (because they have cat manners) and blink my eyes slowly at them to let them know I have said, “Arriverderci” or “Sayonara” or “Hasta mañana” or just “See you later, alligator”, which I love to say because I’m always happy when alligators are leaving my environs.
These polite words are disappearing from our language, mainly because parents don’t teach them. Maybe they don’t even use them themselves, but I don’t think so. It’s probably just an oversight because kids rule the roost and whatever they wish to do, they do it. Not always, but often.
And I’m not perfect either. Sometimes people leave after a party or dinner and I’m so sacked out in some obscure nook or cranny of our house that I just don’t hear a thing.
But I’m dreaming a polite “Goodbye”, that’s for sure…
(I’m wondering what “good breeding” means, exactly….uh, oh)
“Goodbye, sweet guests.”
Our HuMom has been taken by surprise 2 times in her life. Both times she was in her son’s, our manchild’s, school. Once the Custodian stopped her in the hall and the other time it was the manchild’s teacher. On both occasions these adult humans told her how polite the manchild is. Well, she almost ask if they were sure it was her son they meant, because at home he is sometimes sullen and less than polite. But it seems that these younger humans often hear what the adults say and more important, see how they act. And now, whenever he reaches for the salt instead of politely asking for it to be passed, she just smiles and takes it out of his hand until he remembers his manners.
This wonderful kid sounds like one in a million. Here’s a game for the ‘salt’ politeness: In Italy if you ask for the salt, the other person HAS to put it on the table, not hand it TO you–This is a superstition that if you simply pass the salt hand to hand, it is bad luck. So we have a game that you have to ask for the salt because if you just reach across someone for it, you’re losing the chance to have good luck. If the salt is in front of you, then just use it, but I think you are talking about long reaches at the table that require polite asking. Very interesting your kid, and thanks to YOU, he is learning. When I would like my kibble, I myow politely.