WWJAD? What would who do?

Dear Good Manners Devotees':

How are you this fine, beautiful summer evening?

The humidity has disappeared, the lightening bugs are flickering, the breeze is cool -- I shut off the air conditioner so we could enjoy the fresh air inside the house, too!

(And maybe save on the electric bill.)

There's never been a more comfortable time to write about good manners -- especially since writing with my laptop on (where else) my lap has tended to make me overheat (good manners term for 'sweat buckets') these past couple of weeks!

So -- what should I write about?

I have no idea!

Eureka! The Good Manners Family just returned from a quick trip to Trader Joe's to see if we could find something tasty for dessert and we practically ran into my inspiration.

As we were waiting patiently at an intersection for our turn to turn, the car in front of us had an interesting bumper sticker that read: WWJAD?

WWJAD? I like to think that I'm familiar enough with pop culture to recognize the acronym for What would so and so do? (insert your favorite person). But no well known person with the initials JA came to mind. Who was it this time, I wondered.

Imagine my surprise to read the smaller type underneath WWJAD: What would Jane Austen do?

Well, I thought -- what a perfect thing to share with you, loyal fans of Good Manners!

Although Jane offered a sometimes biting commentary on the social niceties of her time, her whole world was based on appropriate behavior.

So, tomorrow, while I bite my tongue at work or over the weekend while I'm stuck in traffic -- I'm just going to remember WWJAD?

Here's hoping that WWJAD just might help you get through some potential bad manners moments, too.


With Best Regards,

Leslie
P.S. Darn it -- can you believe that Good Manners Dad isn't going to let me get a WWJAD bumper sticker?