Musings and Awakenings
One of the most important things my wonderful Mother taught my siblings and I, was how vital it is to have good manners. We had impeccable manners drummed into us from a very early age and I think, besides the fact that my Mom was a really nice and polite person, that this also stemmed from the fact that she had a very low self esteem. For her it was important not to make anyone ever feel uncomfortable or to put anyone “out” – almost as if believing that if she did so that they may turn around and notice her perceived “failings”. I only came to realise this fact as a grown woman, especially after having spent years being treated as a useful but somewhat expendable object by my Dad, and once I had made this realisation I made every effort to separate being polite and well-mannered from being browbeaten. Not an easy task after decades of conditioning, I can tell you. I gradually grew a cheekier demeanour and forced myself to use the “because I can” reasoning as much as po