Good Manners

My mom was a product of the 1920's and 30's. As a child my mother regaled me with stories of the Great Depression and traveling across the country in a Model A. I'm glad she shared so much, because times change and it's great to have a window into the past. In addition to all the stories she, of course, passed on the womanly advice of her times.

As I faced adolescence, Mom's manner lessons were often a point of contention between us. In the 1980's I was admonished against piercing my ears or shaving my legs, lest I be mistaken for a foreign prostitute. No matter what evidence I gave to the contrary, she firmly believed that such acts would doom me to depravity. Thankfully, I rebelled, shaved my legs and punched a couple of holes in my ears -- to just to be one of the girls.

At other times her advice was on the money. I'm glad she told me to answer invitations with notes, out of respect for the host, and to drop thank you notes as soon as possible. While I don't always get this done, I really see value in the act. I love getting a real written response to an invitation.

Anyway, I started thinking about her lessons when I came across Miss Abigails Time Warp Advice. The author has a collection of over a thousand pre-1980's advice books. She is able to find time-warped advice to speak to any problem. The website has been so successful, she got a book deal. Her book, Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating, and Marriage: Classic Advice for Contemporary Dilemmas, was published this March and I can't wait to get it.

I'd better watch myself. I realized my own advice is quickly dating me when my daughter refused to wear nylons to a school dance. She won the battle, though I'm absolutely sure the dress would have hung better with the nylons on. Oh, well...