This blog post is in dedication to my mom and dad, a.k.a Marcie and DJ Tony T.
Yesterday I had an experience at work that really made me grateful for my mom and dad. Not because they fed me, clothed me, took me on semi-fun vacations (I only say "semi" because a few of those week long car trips have caused me to HATE road trips), and made sure I got good grades in school, and made me go to church, the list could go on and on. But I am grateful to them for teaching me to be a decent human being. They taught me to be respectful to adults.
Neither of my parents are from the south, but we have been here in Memphis since I was but a wee babe. My mom NEVER made me reply with a "yes ma'am" in our house, but I distinctly remember before every slumber party I ever went to my mother firmly telling me, "you better say 'yes ma'am' and 'yes sir' to so and so's parents!" And I always did!
Now I am by no means claiming that I was never a mouthy, smart alec teenager. I willingly admit that I got ISS for three days for mouthing off to my Anatomy teacher my senior year of high school. But I also, on my own accord, genuinely apologized to my teacher when I went back to class because I knew I was out of line.
On days like yesterday, I think I am being punished for those times I was a jerk in high school. I witnessed a student who is supposedly a stand-up student, top of the class, leader in our school treat me (an adult) and her fellow classmates with complete disrespect. After class I called her up and tried to talk with her about the importance of respecting people and her response to me was appalling. She treated me as if I was dirt under her shoe, as if I didn't have the right to judge her behavior.
I left that class thinking, "If I EVER acted like that towards an adult, my parents would have beat the mess out of me."
So thanks Mom and Dad. I am glad my parents cared about me enough to teach me how to behave.
