SAYING , "THANK YOU" When you have a pleasant experience in life, should say: "Thank You" to someone.
I am happy to report that I find the old-fashioned bit of etiquette still being taught to children. Instructions in doing so start early and well before the child can talk. It is usually undertaken as a parental duty for two purposes: one is the seriously undertaken task of teaching the youngster to show appreciation for special treats afforded them by relatives - close and distant who have a marked tendency to hold it against a child unto adulthood if they did not say "Thank you" for a bar of smelly soap given to them in babyhood.
The usual method for teaching an infant politeness in such cases is to grasp the gift in the child's hands and extend out toward the giver while, all the while urging the child to say "" Ta, Ta, Aunt or Uncle So-and-So!". "Ta,.Ta " was a favorite of mind. I always considered it to be strictly childish prattle until I found shipped to England during World War Two and hear "Ta" as a commonly used bit of English short-talk meaning -"Thank you very much." and other vaguely related and needly elongated expressions. The simply abbreviated word "ta" took care of a multiple number of linguistic needs.
The child will respond in many cases by gurgling, cooing or by knocking the gift from your hand and send it clattering across the floor. You can expect some reaction most of the time and you can feel you are making progress. All of this tends to remind us of the many times we should have said "thank you" and failed to do so for one reason or another.
Then, set about changing all that. Make yourself a simple list of all the good things which happened to you recently. The first thing that will be your discovery of how long such a list becomes - and quickly, too. We all have more good things happening than bad ones but the recognition factors are, perhaps, not as clear.
It may be that you read a good book recently. That book was written by an author- a man or a woman - and they'd like to know how you felt about what they had set down for you to read. If you liked the book, why not write a simple saying so? If you did not like the book, don't write. That would be adding a harsh note to another person's day.
Give a little more daily time to thinking about all the musicians, artists, actors, and supporting people for all of them, who work hard all their days to please you. Tell them what you like about what they do and oddly enough, they will try to do even better to supply you with such treasures. There are hundreds of people out there - the butchers, the bakers as well as he candlestick makers - who never hear a word of appreciation from those who thrive in their creative work.
I, personally, have learned from doing that which I am now suggesting you might wish to try to do. I have learned from doing much of hat which I'm telling you now. Try to give a little more time and effort. It is a rewarding experience in many ways, especially as one grows old then, older and begins to marvel how it has come to be that so many people have been so good to you over the years.
Start now.
Say "Ta, Ta" to someone today!
A.L.M. July 16, 2005 [c605wds]
