Manners?

I just came back from a beautiful run. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing (a little too much but oh well!), and my new running sneakers had great bounce.
And as I stretch and write this post, I am surprised by what I noticed while running.

I am so grateful for the ability to move my legs and run (and I am not an expert runner). I am grateful for the sun and the chance to take the time to move today.

But I did notice something unfortunate as well. Not one person who was walking towards me on the sidewalk moved over so I could continue running. Instead, I had to switch to the other side (the left side/wrong side) so I wouldn't run into them, or run on the dirt if a couple wouldn't move over a little bit. And while I can certainly do that, it is #1) dangerous since there are rocks and branches sticking out in the dirt next to the sidewalk, and I sometimes had to have one foot higher on the sidewalk, and #2) strange to me that it wouldn't be an automatic reaction to move over for someone. We each have a side!

I have taught my 3-year-old to always move over for someone, that it's nice to open doors for others, and that it is always best to think of others and automatically try to make things easier for them. Saying please and thank you should also be automatic.

My next door neighbors are a family of such manners, and I truly respect the parents for teaching their children, and the children for realizing that being nice and friendly to others means so much.

So I write this as a reminder to try to think of others...and to let runners run (wink wink)...