Good manners refreshing to find
Something I’ve noticed more and more, especially since I’ve started reporting and have had a chance to interact with students at all the city and county schools on a fairly regular basis, is that kids today seem to grow less and less polite with each passing year.
I realize I’m only 24, but there is a significant difference between someone my age and someone who’s in high school now.
In fact, even when I was a senior in high school there seemed to be a significant difference in our class and the classes below us.
I was on the RHS Colorguard all four years of high school, and when my best friend, Jamie, and I first made colorguard our freshman year, we were the only ninth graders.
At that time, there was a sense of rank, and the younger members did what they were told. We would practice past dark, we would run laps if we were asked and we basically just followed orders because they were older and we were younger and that was just the way it was.
But by the time we were seniors, Jamie and I were colorguard captains and we were lucky to have people do something we told them to do without whining, complaining or threatening to call their mothers.
Now there were several who didn’t do that, but I remember Jamie and I commenting on how much different things were just in those few short years. There was hardly any respect.
But the reality is, people just don’t respect their elders like they used to, and it just seems to get worse, so I’ve grown accustomed to dealing with rude children. However, there are always exceptions to the rule and most of the seniors I’ve interviewed for the Franklin’s Future articles this semester are exceptions to the “all kids are rude” rule.
But this week I really met two exceptions: Matthew Waldrep and Jose Figueroa, two members of the RHS JROTC. I hope this doesn’t embarrass the fire out of them, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share how impressed I was with these two. Their parents should be very proud because they have raised two fine young men.
I briefly met Matthew and Jose at Russellville Elementary this week when they were doing a presentation on the American flag for the enrichment classes.
They interacted with the students, had patience when trying to demonstrate how to properly fold a flag, were gracious and polite to both Mrs. Hood and me and were just generally good role models, especially for the three little boys who seemed to hang on every word they said.
After they made their presentation, I followed them into the hallway to ask them a few questions and I half expected to see exasperated faces since I was detaining them from getting on with their business. But instead they just smiled and waited quietly for me to ask them a question.
When I did ask them a question I was met with “yes ma’am” and “no ma’am” and they had genuine sincerity.
They told me about how they enjoy being good role models because these kids are the future, and I had to keep from staring at them funny because you just don’t hear that kind of maturity coming from most teenage boys. Most teenage boys are just worried about acting cool or trying to be funny.
When I finished my questions, they thanked me and I walked away almost shaking my head in bewilderment at how rare that experience was.
Like I said, their parents should be proud. And so should RHS and the instructors of the JROTC program. These two were fine examples of what politeness and respectfulness looks like, and I imagine they’ll continue to be good role models for all the people they come in contact with, both young and old.
