Girls are wonderful mimics. A girl learns how to behave as an adult from the women around them. They learn how they should be treated from the men and women they live with.
When I was a kid I was surrounded by men and women who knew this.
I don’t see that as much in the world today.
This weekend I saw groups of girls being chaperoned by women who were graceful and friendly, women who knew that their behavior must be beyond reproach because they were under constant scrutiny by dozens of little eyes. These girls were engaging and friendly. They were respectful of the people around them and the rules they were asked to follow.
Unfortunately these women (and girls) were not in the majority.
The majority of the chaperones were loud and obnoxious. They were profane and, in many cases, at least slightly drunk. The groups of girls under the supervison of these women were rude, arrogant and catty. They ran through the place like there was no one else ther knocking into people and causing general disorder.
Call me old fashioned or out of it but I want my daughter to be respectful, kind and graceful to everyone around her. I want her to appreciate her own beauty and the beauty of the world around her. And for the time being I intend to teach her to make the choices in life that will continue to surround her with the kind of women that she should emulate, the kind of women that embody the same characteristics that I value.
