R-E-S-P-E-C-T

I heard an ad on the radio about things kids learn from parents.  I thought it was interesting that it mentioned one of the things that kids learn is that if your not five minutes early, you are late.   Both my parents and my military experience taught me this valuable lesson and I am still punctual today, sometimes more that required.  The doctors office tell me to check in 15 minutes early, I usually arrive 30 minutes early.  I have never been late to work.  Personal issues, bad weather, snow, traffic have not kept me from getting to my job site on time.

I have made it a personal agenda to arrive early enough to be completely prepared for what the day has in store.  Our store opens at 8:00 o’clock A.M. and when it is my responsibility to open the store, it opens five minutes early even if there are no customers waiting.

Most personnel from earlier generations see no problem with arriving late to work.  All kinds of excuses follow as they saunter into the store and take their time getting ready to go to work.  And they wonder why I can’t understand that it is okay for them to stay up late, sleep through their alarm and slip into work late or have to be called to get up.  They can’t understand when I drive 30 some miles to work through all kinds of weather, why I take exception to them telling me they can’t get to work when we have a couple of inches of snow.

I am somewhat upset when my own grandson admits his generation is lazy, lax and could care less.  Don’t thinking that I am judging everyone in any given generation.  I am not.  I have late people in my generation, just not as many.

 I think we need to teach respect.  Respect for other peoples time.  Respect for others regardless of who they are.  Good manners, not bad language. Being tolerant and accepting of differences  Respect for elders.  Respect for others property.  Respect for life and how precious it is and that it shouldn’t be wasted without justification.