Basic courtesy - minding your Ps and Qs

I was at the mamak (Indian Muslim) shop last Sunday afternoon to buy my favourite lunch of Maggi goreng (fried instant noodles) and Milo ais kaw (thick iced Milo). I had to wait for awhile for them to prepare for my order. Naturally while waiting, I tend to observe my surroundings. I noticed that the workers of the mamak shop are actually quite efficient and courteous in serving their customers. Mind you, the mamak shop I went to is a 24-hour outlet, and I'm quite sure the workers there would be doing at least 8- to 12-hour shifts.

Despite the long hours these workers who are mostly Indian Muslims, they never failed to do their respective duties well. After waiting for about 10 minutes, I received my food and drink so I headed for the cashier counter to make the payment. When I received the change from the cashier and I said thank you to him for serving me; the response I have gotten was a smile, which I never expected to receive at all.

The smile I have gotten from the cashier was what I could gather, a smile of genuine appreciation. I think he did not expect me to thank him for his service. These days many people are often caught up with the issues in their own life that they often forget little meaningful gestures in life like minding their Ps and/or Qs when dealing and/or communicating with other people.

I am no exception to this but I do make a conscious effort to mind my Ps and Qs when dealing and/or communicating with other people. And I noticed that my effort doesn't go to waste often. However, sad to say, it is usually the people from the lower income group who are often not so well-educated and well-off are the ones who really make the effort to mind their Ps and Qs. Many people who are well-off and better educated often would unfortunately don't give much thought about minding their Ps and Qs when dealing and/or communicating with people, especially to those who are less well-off and well-educated.

My own experiences actually prompted me to write this blog post. I have actually met and dealt with many people who are of higher than or equal status with me but their character and personality were very far from their actual status in the society. Honestly, I feel very disappointed the way these people behave, setting bad leadership example to the people around them. Yet they expect the people around them to behave well.

It won't bode well when people who hardly mind their Ps and Qs but expect people around them to do so. In fact, in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, it was quoted I think in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, that one should judge a person by observing how he/she treat his/her inferiors and not his/her equals. I think this quote is still appropriate in today's society where minding one's Ps and Qs is concerned.

At the end of the day if a person actually takes the pains to mind his/her Ps and Qs, this would reflect how well the person has been brought up by his/her family as well as the influence of the environment he/she has grown up in. In today's societal standards, a person who mind his/her Ps and Qs would be viewed as a better behaved person, in fact, be seen as more civilised than another person who does not do so.

If only this world ideally have more people who make an effort to mind their Ps and Qs... Life would be less horrendous than it already is... It is not impossible to do so if everyone makes an effort to play their role in doing so, then we won't have to lament the stark fact that young people behave obnoxiously to their whims and fancies.