Six unwritten rules of life

There’s unwritten rules in life. You’re walking into work or a store, you hold the door open for the person behind you. If you see an older person or someone walking with a limp, you hold the door an extra beat longer.

It’s an unwritten rule. Life is full of rules like this.

I’m noticing lately that many folks — young and old — have been missing these rules. They’re skipping right by them. How dare they? Here’s six rules that we should all be aware of:

–There are the simple ones. Say please and thank you. When someone sneezes, you say “God Bless You.” And the sneezer responds in kind with “Thank you.” You chew with your mouth closed. Don’t talk on your phone in confined spaces like doctor’s offices and elevators. Give up your seat on the bus or train to mothers-to-be, mom’s with kids, and anyone older than you.

–There’s the basic kindness ones. Say good morning to your coworkers, even to Jimmy, Jenny, or Josh who are annoying as heck. It’s the nice thing to do. Return the shopping cart to the store or to the cart bin. Don’t leave it in the middle of the parking lot. Don’t leave it on the sidewalk. Return it. Period. End of story.

–Okay, now we’re getting a little more complicated. When going on a long road trip, the driver chooses the music. The co-pilot must stay awake and help with navigation. He or she should adjust music as directed and help dole out the snacks. Passengers in the backseat are free to sleep. The driver and co-pilot get to make fun of them at will. All gas stops should be efficient as possible, unless otherwise directed by the driver. Finally, no backseat driving from any of the passengers. Simple enough, right?

–Now we get to Higher Math. These rules can get trickier, but should still be common sense. When parking, don’t park next to the man or woman parked far away from the other cars. They chose to park away from the masses. If you must park near them, leave five spaces. The same goes for bathroom etiquette. This one is for the men. Unless all other spots are taken, never, never take the urinal right next to someone else. If there’s none available, then obviously all bets are off. Otherwise, leave room. And oh yea, clean up after yourself in the restroom. We’re all adults here, right? Your momma didn’t grow no piggy! Who knew bathroom trips could be so complicated?

–Clean up after your pet. When out and about, especially in nature, pick up after yourself. Leave no trace.

–Always be kind.

Here’s two more that I would add:

–Keep your dog leashed when in public. When I run on a local trail, I constantly come across pet owners who let their dog off their leash. There’s nothing worse than coming across a random dog and not knowing if I’m facing friendly Lassie or snarling Cujo. The owners will see my scowl and inevitably yell out, “Oh Fido is friendly. He wouldn’t hurt a fly.” That may be the case, but there’s no guarantee he or she is going to be friendly . . . to me. And why do I need to slow or stop my run because you’re an idiot?

–Failure is a good thing. We should run toward our mistakes not away from them. It’s one of the best ways of learning.

Oh yes, I admit that I’m getting grumpy in my older years, but these bug the heck out of me. And if I’m really honest, I’ve always been bothered by people missing these. What have I missed? What are the unwritten rules that you hate to see skipped?