Being courteous is what separates us from the animals. I always have appreciated courteous people, male and female. Opening doors for each other, saying polite words when a faux pas occurs are things we do.

I guess I must be getting older because I’m noticing that as I do age there is less regard for older people.

In some cultures, older people are revered and respected. In America, it seems that when a person reaches a certain age, he or she is considered to be washed-up, not “with-it,” and criticized.

How many times have you walked into a room and all of the teens are sitting while the adults, mostly older, are standing?

Most people over 40 are from the generation of respecting their elders but it seems to be a lost behavior because I don’t see it much in younger people.

Is it because “older” now actually is younger than it used to be? They say the age of 50 is really the new 30. Oh, please.

Anyway, getting back to the subject, maybe “older” people do age differently than our grandparents and great-grandparents.

Maybe I have this all wrong. Maybe young people see older people as being self-sufficient and able to fend for themselves and not in need of their assistance.

Regardless, I hope parents continue to instill the importance of being humble, polite, and respectful.

Another thing that separates us from the apes is speaking when entering a room. I have a thing about that. When I walk into an office, a store, or some other public place, I try to speak to whomever is there. Sometimes I won’t speak, just to see if the other person will. I usually am sadly disappointed because I have found there are many times the other person won’t speak unless I speak first.

Is it because when they have spoken the other person didn’t respond? Now that’s happened to me a time or two before but I don’t care. I’ll keep right on speaking.

*****

My better half and I have been enjoying the menagerie of wildlife in our backyard. Squirrels, several species of birds, and rabbits have been congregating at our birdbath these hot days. Having corn readily available probably doesn’t hurt either.

It has been so hot. How hot is it? Well, it is so hot that the squirrels sprawl out on the wooden platform in the tree that holds the corn. They also have been seen lounging by the birdbath.

I’ve never seen squirrels do that before. The first time I thought there was something wrong. There was this squirrel. He was lying on his belly, and his head and right front paw were dangling over the edge of the board.

A few days later, probably the same squirrel was lounging by the pool (birdbath) with his right back foot and right front foot in the water and his little head laying on the cool concrete.

Strange. I guess I should tag these critters so I know if it’s the same one.

Now that would be strange.

*****

And if anyone was wondering about the crayons in the backseat of my car, I got most of them off with ice and leather cleaner. I’m still working on the green crayon goo in the crevice of a seat. I figure if it’s still there by winter, it will come off after the first hard freeze.

Gotta love Kansas weather!

— Susan Berg