Let's Remember our Etiquette When we Fly

Let's discuss some airplane etiquette...for the sake of us all :)

--If you have a cold or allergies, please make sure you have a cloth or handkerchief that you can sneeze into. Your hand or turning or head to the side is really not ok when on a plane due to the extremely close proximity to others. Please plan ahead.

--If your child is with you, regardless of how difficult it is, you really must keep their little feet off of the seat in front of them. Truly, it is so uncomfortable to be sitting with constant little kicks in your back for hours on end. Now, with that said, those of us sitting in front of those little feet, please do not ever allow yourself to feel anger towards a child. They are innocent and are never doing anything with the purpose of making you miserable. Have patience and love in your heart, even though it's bothersome.

--When you are talking, be aware of the volume of your voice. Literally, we need to speak in HUSHED TONES on an airplane. People are traveling for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes they have been traveling for more than 20 hours. Sometimes they are going to or coming from a funeral of a loved one. Sometimes they are traveling for treatment for a chronic illness. It is NOT polite to be loud and boisterous with our conversation or laugh when in such close proximity to others. PLEASE, BE AWARE OF YOUR VOLUME. 

--There's no reason to be mad because the person in front of you decides to recline their seat. People, that's just part of it. Reclining your seat can help so much and it's simply a feature on most planes. Deal with it and quit or grumbling.

--When it's time to leave the plane, the protocol is that each isle exits in the order of the isle. If you're in the back, yep, you're going to be waiting a while. It's just part of it. If you want to leave sooner, you've got to pay for the seats up front. it's just that simple.

--For this one, I'm not saying never, but what I will say is please know that bringing food on the plane that is "high odor" is not the most polite thing to do to other guest. Meaning, bringing on a burger smothered in grilled onions so everyone on the plane has to endure your onions while you eat them, is not being sensitive to others. If you have to bring food onto a plane, consider foods that are not high in odor. Turkey sandwiches are great :)

--Finally, please be sensitive to little ones around you when considering the media you choose to watch while flying. Yes, I know it's a free country and yes, I know you have the right to watch whatever you want to, but just because we have the right, does not mean that we should. If you know there are young people around you, I would hope that you would not watch anything extremely graphic or that has nudity. We all have a responsibility to protect the innocent always and at all times, regardless of whose they are.

Happy Flying!!

Being Positive Can Save Your Life

I hope you all are having a fabulous month and looking forward to another week, blessed with time.  Time to share, time to love, time to talk and time to count our many blessings.  Well, I know it sounds like I’m being all happy and joyful right now and actually, there’s a reason for this behavior.  Did you know that it is polite to be positive, which means it is impolite to be negative.  Well....it is!

Sometimes, I want to shout at the top of my lungs to certain people to, “Stop Complaining!!!!!”  Yes, I know things are hard and difficult and uncertain right now and I’m feeling those things too, but how in the world does it help any of us to go around complaining, whining and fussing about all the gloom and doom in the world?  It helps nothing.  I know that there are people who suffer at a level that I cannot even relate to and never will.  My heart hurts knowing others have to suffer so.  However, I know that in order to help uplift each other and support each other, we have got to become more positive.  

We Americans, forget too easily the blessings we enjoy.  We are becoming so hard and cynical towards our elected officials, our way of life, our future.  Yes, of course we’ve got problems, some very big ones, but let’s stop complaining and let’s become a part of the solution.  

Ladies and gentleman are:

1. people who look for the positive in all things
2. people who see adversity and know that this is a time to triumph
3. people who refuse to give up, complain or fail
4. people who are more concerned with their neighbors’ troubles, than their own
5. people who smile regardless of their day, so that they can help others to feel safe and comforted
6. people who look at troubled times as an opportunity to show compassion
7. people who ask themselves, “What can I do to change this situation?” and then do it
8. people who ask themselves, “What can’t I  change in this situation?” and then forget it
9. people who know that greatness comes from trying
10. people who know that a positive attitude can not only change your day, but the day of everyone around you

May we all strive to be more positive and more cheerful.  Remember, true etiquette comes when our focus is on lifting those around us.  Why can staying positive save your life?  Because, it gives you your life back--the good life.  Try it and see!

Happy thoughts,

Monica Irvine

a.k.a. Mary Manners
#MannersMatter #StayPositive  #TeachingManners  #MannersforKids