It's just Southern Manners

I got to thinking and well.. people who are not from the South just don't get certain things. For instance, to be polite will not hurt or kill you, it's a common decency that our Mommas taught us. I know when I was growing up if I didn't thank someone for a gift or say excuse me there would be a smarting hiney in my future. Not to say my Mom beat me, she didn't, but she smacked my hiney enough to make sure the knowledge stayed in place. And thus at the ripe old age of 32 I say "Yes ma'am", "No ma'am", "Please" and "Thank you" without thought, it's just automatic. Another thing that most do not get.... respect. It goes hand and hand with politeness. You can even be polite and respectful to strangers. For example: You bump into a stranger on the street you say "Excuse me." This doesn't mean you are looking for a relationship,(unless the guy looks like one of the following: Gerard Butler, Ewen McGregor, Harry Connick Jr...etc ) it's just being nice about your clumsiness.. even if it was their fault. We spank our kids. We don't beat them. As mentioned previously I got spanked quite a bit while growing up. Oh the horror! (Rolling eyes here.) I didn't come out brain dead or screwed up from this, I have a healthy respect for my parents. Right below wrath of God was wrath of Mom. I knew if I did something wrong there would be punishment. Why does it seem to me that most people don't get it? If you even mention spanking a child you get the evil eye. I don't have kids now, but I do know folks who do and they believe the same.... and hello Biblical as well spare the rod, spoil the child. You would be surprised if you only knew how many people thank their parents for disciplining them as a child. I know I did. There's more food for fodder here about what they don't get... but alas.. I'll leave that for another day.