Manners

[srkruzich]

A comment on another thread brought me to ask this question...
What exactly is manners?
Please and thank-yous.  Opening the door for elderly and women.  How about "sir" and "ma'ma"?  Does it depend on the area of the country you were raised in?
I might have told this story before, but when I first started dating Chuck (south-Florida boy), my parents were actually OFFENDED that he called them "sir" and "ma'ma".  I remember my mom actually telling me that she thought he was disrespecting them!  When I explained to her that he called his dad "sir" and his mom "ma'ma", she finally realized that he was actually being polite!  But I've had many experiences myself, as seen this from other people, too, that if you call someone "sir" or "ma'ma", they do get offended.  "My dad was 'sir'" or "I'm not old enough to be a ma'ma!"  Chuck's neices and nephews (all under the age of 12) learn "sir" and "ma'ma" at an EARLY age.  It's not just "thank you", it's "thank-you, ma'ma" and they get reprimanded if they don't remember to say it.
So, what's your opinion? 

I was raised in Georgia and i wouldn't dream of not saying sir or ma'am.  You never call elders by their first name its always mr. and mrs or miss.    Growing up if we did such a thing someone would have knocked us on our butts and it wasn't just our daddys that would have done it. The nearest male around would have done it and you sure didn't want to even get the LOOK from the women.  It would curdle your blood!

I still am this way to this day 48 years later and I am not going to change it for anyone.  Don't care if it might upset someone either.   I am more afraid of my daddy or grandpa or any other southern gent rising up from the ground and knocking me on my butt!