The deer in Turkey Hollow have no manners, nor do the pigs at the farm just down the road. The deer will kick away their own fawns in order to get the good apple. The pigs just run to the fence, and God help anything that should get in the way. 
However I do expect more from people.
These days, manners seem to have disappeared and we are all the less for it. I grew up relatively poor in Elmer, and I remember my mother made sure she kept a copy of Emily Post Book of Etiquette so that her children not only could be successful, but could mix with better people who had manners. I am realizing that the people of Turkey Hollow are better at expressing gratitude and keeping their commitments than many of the “better people” I have met in my journey.
I have pet peeves that drive me nuts.
At the top of my list are people who treat service workers poorly. I concede that bad service can be annoying, but it is not an excuse for you to return the ugliness. These people work long days to make our lives better. You are not required to leave a tip if you feel you have received bad service, but I have no patience for those that dress down someone serving in public. It is rude to the victim and it ruins the occasion for others.
Then there are those who can’t understand what RSVP means. You go to a great deal of trouble to plan a party or dinner for guests and they don't even bother to call and RSVP. Even if you have a return card with a stamped envelope, some people can't seem to find time to place it in a post box. Then there are those who I call "is there anything better happening" people. They hold out to the last minute just to be sure something better than your evening is not happening elsewhere. These kind souls are the ones always calling at the last minute, after all the shopping has been done, to say they are coming and by the way, they are bringing another guest.
I have had lovely house guests who think I am running the Four Seasons Hotel. They don't make their bed, the floor is littered with clothes and they nap as you cook and do the dishes. They often go through your personal things with an innocent "what's in here" proclamation. Predictably, these customers never write thank you notes.
Finally, the lack of thank you notes is maddening. Failing to send a simple note shows a lack of gratitude for the effort required to arrange a special event or pick out a perfect gift. On occasion, I might wonder if someone had even received my gift. I love hand-written notes, but in this high-tech age, I find e-mail to be just fine. It is at least an acknowledgement.
Good manners makes us all feel better. Clearly, we all don't have to be uptight in our entertaining and there is plenty of room for relaxing and laughter. But that is the point - it should be a such a fun time or special moment that one can't wait to acknowledge the joy.
So I forgive the pigs and the deer, but I have to vent about humans.
Please accept my deep thanks for reading this and making me feel better. Thank you so much.
Photographs of pigs taken in Turkey Hollow by Steven Guy
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