|
Some Traditions Should Not Be Forgotten
By now, you probably realize that I often pine for the "good old days." Now the "good old days" change from one person to another according to their age. Just for clarification, I am not talking about the days when there were one-room schoolhouses, Model A Fords, and when there were only two teams in the baseball playoffs. Even though I do know some people who would say that those days were pretty good.
I am talking about a time when common courtesy was not only expected but demanded. A time when kids answered yes sir and yes ma'am to adults. A time when doors were opened for women, whether you knew them or not, and a time when courtesy was even practiced on our roads. I was reminded recently just how far off track we have gotten concerning our manner s and how we have forgotten the meaning of common respect. I was in a funeral procession and we were traveling toward the grave sight where a relative would be laid to rest. All the cars were in line following the hearse, everyone had their lights on, and even Mr. Magoo would have been able to see that this line of cars was in fact a funeral procession. The police officer leading the pack, with his lights on, might have been a subtle hint.
As we were riding along, with cars zipping past us and some even attempting to pass the procession, I remembered a time when I was a young boy and was in a similar procession. But, there was a vast difference in what I remembered in a time that has since past. Back then, if you saw a funeral procession coming toward you, you could not get off to the side of the road quick enough. Cars would remain stopped until the last car of the procession had passed them by. I even remember men getting our of their cars and holding their hands over their hearts as the deceased and their families slowly passed by in what remains a solemn event. They did not pull over and they did not place their hands over their hearts because they knew the deceased, it was simply known as having respect for the deceased. It was a good thing. But, on this recent occasion it became obvious that many of the drivers felt truly inconvenienced as we rode by. There were some close calls at intersections and very few people even considered pulling over; out of respect.
The whole incident reminded me of just how poor of a job that we, as baby boomers, have done in passing traditions down to our children. We are all so busy in our lives that we do not have time to slow down just for a minute, even for the dead. Unbelievable technology, social advancements, and all the other modern wonders that were not available when I was a little boy have had a great impact in my adult life. But every day, I still count on the things that were taught to me by mother, father, and my grandparents. Things that you would not find on Google but things that have as much to do with my being as anything I have ever learned.
Has Gwinnett become to big, and gotten so busy, that we cannot even rely on our one last ride on this earth to be one that is not tied up in traffic? I will admit that this old tradition is one that many people may think its time has come and gone. Maybe the question is bigger than any one tradition. Have we also decided that times for respect and courtesy have also long since passed? Perhaps it has.
For further information, visit www.voice4victims.com
If you are interested in having Mr. Hall speak at your next club or group meeting, please email contact information to:
SHallBadgeNotes@aol.com
092404
Archives
|
