Last night was one of the greatest nights of my life because I was able to attend the ASU-UGA football game. The game itself wasn’t that great, and I knew that the Sun Devils would be overmatched going into the game. It was the atmosphere that was incredible. The game was a sell-out, the crowd was pumped, and there were enough Georgia fans on hand to make things entertaining. The seats that my wife and parents so lovingly got for me are right next to the student section at around the 40 yard line.
The problem with the seats are that they are right along the isle, so there is constant sitting and standing throughout the game (I choose not to complain though; I love college football and my Sun Devils even thought they are 2-2). The one thing I did notice throughout the game was the absence of “excuse me” and “thank you.” As I was standing and sitting to allow people by me I began to realize that if someone approached me, it was my duty to move, or I was going to be stepped over or on. If I did move, a thank you was not to be issued because once again, it was my obligation to get out of the way.
As the game went on, and less and less acknowledged me, more side comments would flow from my mouth. I figured if the weren’t going to excuse themselves, they should at least acknowledge me after I moved for them. Some people acknowledged me after I made my comment, and others just gave me a “what the hell did you say?” glance. Either way, I got the acknowledgement that I was looking for, and moved on to the game.
Saying “please”, “thank you”, and “excuse me” is becoming a lost art, and we need to make sure that we teach our kids (and ourselves if necessary) these words.