Lynne Kiesling
I love the little bite-sized podcasts from Quick and Dirty Tips, and one of my favorites is Modern Manners Guy. My favorite thus far is his “get out of the way” podcast with its set of examples of being more attentive, thoughtful, and considerate with respect to your physical presence; one of my pet peeves is to be driving, or in a shop, or on a sidewalk around people who are so absorbed in what they are doing that they are paying no attention to what is going on around them, and in the process they move (or stand still!) in ways that interfere with others around them:
Although you certainly can’t prevent this situation every time, there are some general practices that will keep everyone moving with the flow which will, in turn, keep tempers down. …
I’ve said it before. You should just get ready because I’m going to say it again and again. The world isn’t all about you, or me for that matter. Manners are the realization of that statement. Manners are about putting others first; there are little things you can do that can brighten someone’s day and these little things are often so inconspicuous that folks don’t even realize you put them first.
And if there were a pile of mannerly things to do, moving out of the way would be right up on top of that pile.
He’s also got a very timely episode on gift-giving etiquette. Very helpful for someone like me who is awkward and self-conscious when it comes to gift giving!