You know, one of my biggest pet peeves is a lack of basic manners. My grandmother always said: ‘Good manners don’t cost a thing.’ She even had this little song, to remind us: ‘Get an education, turn into a big shot, but don’t forget your manners!’
It’s simple stuff—say good morning when you walk into a room, say thank you when someone holds the door, and never, ever push in line.
How hard can it be, right?
But what really gets me is how some people treat waiters.
I was at a beach club recently, sitting at a table with no phone, just people-watching.
There was this one Nepalese waiter—always smiling, like he carries a bit of sunshine with him. I don’t know what it is, but every Nepalese person I’ve met here seems to have this joy for life.
You can feel it.
Anyway, he was serving two guys sitting nearby.
One of them was scrolling through his phone, the other talking loudly into his.
Neither of them even looked up as the waiter brought their drinks over. He smiled, poured the beer, and then went to pick up an extra side plate.
‘Put it down,’ one of the guys barked, pointing at the table like the waiter was a nuisance.
The way he said it—it made me cringe.
The waiter, still smiling, said: ‘Excuse me sir?’ But the guy snatched the plate from his hand and slammed it on the table.
I watched as the smile faded from the waiter’s face. He just walked away like nothing happened.
I don’t get it—why go out of your way to ruin someone’s day?
Especially someone just trying to do their job.
It’s not just about manners—it’s about making others feel seen.
Like Maya Angelou said, ‘try be the rainbow in someone else’s cloud’. You don’t need to go out of your way or make grand gestures— just show basic good manners.