Luck be a LADY tonight...

My dearest most darling friend Lauren and I have a lot in common.

1. We are Super Models
2. We love the Phantom of the Opera
3. We both know how to act like a lady
4. We drive silver cars

See?

It is just meant to be that we are the best of friends.

Today, I am going to focus on the #3 reason of why we have a lot in common.

When Lauren and I were around the age of 13 (like 5 years ago...ok...7...FINE. 12 years ago) our mothers enrolled us in the National Charity League.

It is here that we learned all the basics of being proper.

Napkins on laps. Salad fork on the outside. Write thank you notes immediately. Introduce people by rank. Arrive on time. Leave on time. Pour tea slowly and always serve in good china!

Nothing was more important to these women than acting like a lady.

At times, I didn't always understand the whole thing. Especially when I was in my later teens. Why should I care which is my desert spoon? And I am not going to sit up straight with both of my feet on the ground. Who are you to tell me what to do?

But lately...I must admit...I think that they might have been on to something major.

Now...I hate to judge people. But I do. This is probably against the National Charity League rule book...Judge is such a terrible sounding word though.  I am going to wikitionary synonyms...

judge (v) Synonyms: arbitrate, adjudicate, mediate, referee, umpire, rule on, try, adjudge Synonyms: estimate, guess, consider, say, assess, think, decide, ascertain, find, resolve Synonyms: criticize, sneer at, belittle, pass judgment on, condemn Synonyms: assess, evaluate, weigh, weigh up, look at, appraise, rate, rank, estimate Synonyms: consider, reckon, think, believe, deem, maintain, conclude
OH! Assess. That sound way better.

So every now and again, I see the way people act and I assess them.
I say to myself, "LAUREN would never behave in such a way." And I am pretty darn sure that those Thursday evening meetings filled with etiquette lessons are the reason why.

And it isn't about being "ladylike"...that word rubs me the wrong way...all my feminist anger comes roaring out at that word...and I don't even necessarily think that I am a feminist. I mean, I believe in equal rights, but I do not believe in NOT shaving your under arms.

It is about having self respect.

So from now on I am going to focus on being a self respecting lady...

...and only acting unladylike like sometimes...