First a bit about me. Maybe the most important tidbit, I was raised by my great-grandparents. From birth until I went to college at 15. Growing up, I cannot tell a lie, I hated this. I really felt the restrictions of their limited view of modernization. I couldn't call boys on the phone, boys had to walk up and knock on the door to take me out, IF I could go out. Notice the big IF, because I learned how to sneak out more than ask permission...

I could go on about how it was and how much I rebelled against it at the time, but you'll get plenty of that in future blog entries. This blog is more about returning to those simpler times. As I've grown older, I've realized that my great-grandparents instilled in me values that are severely lacking in this time, and I for one long to return.

Don't get it confused... I am a modern girl! I often refer to myself as a techogeek, a liberal, a modernist but bottom line is, I have old fashioned expectations and values and sometimes I feel as if I'm the last person to display my beliefs and have reasonable expectations of others.

Case in point: What happened to saying "please", "thank-you" or "excuse me"? I went to the movies this weekend, sat in the middle of the row at the very back of the theatre (I think the best seat in the house-I get there early to get it) I counted the teenagers and adults who said "excuse-me" as they passed by. 1 person, out of 12. So is the phrase no longer necessary, or is it not taught or are my old fashioned expectations outdated and I should just get over it? Really, I want to know. I believe its only polite, when walking in front of someone, to excuse yourself. A simple phrase I know, probably old fashioned and I'm ok with it being so, but its rude to me to just breeze by somebody, even step on my toe (as 2 other folks did, without any acknowledgement) and not say a mumbling word. I'm a human, I'm not invisible, I'm just old fashioned in a modern world.