Matching Socks

A first date at McDonalds.  For most of us, that idea sounds a bit odd. I myself enjoy the occasional Quarter-Pounder, but would I ever take a young woman to enjoy the fine cuisine of the dollar menu in effort to have a romantic evening? Most likely not; at least, not outside of some unusual circumstances. Staying on the subject of dining, can you imagine a high-priced civil lawyer taking a prospective client on a business lunch by inviting him to the employee break room for some microwave-heated pizza? Unless the client has expressed a desire for a nuked slice of meat-lover's, this certainly would not happen. Or, shifting the example to one closer to today’s topic, can you imagine going to be interviewed for an internship wearing basketball shorts and a wife-beater, and with hair suggesting that you somehow never moved your head from your pillow after getting out of bed? If you actually wanted to be hired, your appearance would never come even close to this. You would at least wear a sleeved undershirt. Jokes aside, the principle remains the same: showing someone that you are willing to be slightly uncomfortable in order to demonstrate that you take them seriously is a habit that will always help you in life as a lady and as a gentleman.

You and your date may find McDonalds to be very easy and very convenient, and the lawyer may really like microwaved pizza and knows that his client doesn’t mind spending lunch in a break room. But that is not the point. Everyone is willing to do something that is convenient for someone else. It is those who are willing to do what is inconvenient for another that truly demonstrate that they care about that person, that they take their relationship seriously.

And this brings me to the topic for this week: how you dress shows how much respect you have for others. Different occasions have different attire. Obviously, a sporting event requires little more than a pair of jeans and your team’s t-shirt and perhaps a hat. Conversely, we would probably all agree that a wedding held at a church should cause you to bring out your nicest suit or maybe even a tuxedo depending on the time of day and requested attire. But what about those events that fall in-between these? A church service? What about national holidays such as memorial day or patriot day (September 11^th)? Or even class every day? The truth is, there generally is not a concrete answer. It is safe to say that one should not wear t-shirt and cargo shorts to a five-star restaurant, and it is generally agreed on that a business suit probably is probably overdoing your evening at the cinema. But the advice that my meager nineteen years of life experience allows me to offer is this: you will convey how seriously you are taking something by dressing more seriously; dressing more like an adult. If you think about how you wish to portray your feelings about an event, and you feel that it is very important to you, consider this when you decide how you will dress. And I believe it is important to ask yourself that question, especially in certain events that you may attend weekly. Yes, I am talking about church.

Remember that your personal comfort is not always the most important thing; what should matter is what you will be telling others when they see you dress. Do not use the excuse of wanting to “be humble” in the way you dress; humility comes in actions, not wardrobe. By dressing nicer, you are showing that you care. And everyone appreciates someone who cares. 

-Author's Note: I apologize for the tardiness of this post. My post schedule will remain on a Tuesday once-a-week basis. 

Howdy, mister.

My first post on manners and the ways of a lady and a gentleman actually stems from my experience as a Cadet in the Civil Air Patrol. As a new Cadet, I was taught and expected to adhere to proper military courtesies. The most commonly known military courtesy in is that of the salute; when a lower-ranking person approaches an officer, he salutes him, and the officer returns the salute. This has never been understood as a sign of inferiority or servitude, but as a sign of respect for the higher person’s rank, and for the lower person’s service. As Cadets, in addition to saluting superior officers, I was also taught to give a verbal greeting, such as “good morning, sir” or “good evening, ma’am” as well. This verbal greeting, was even required in situations when I was not supposed to salute them, such as times when I was indoors or in a “no-salute zone”. No matter where I was, officers could always know that I would be acknowledging their presence, and I knew that they would always show the same respect to me in return.

The point I wish to make is that greeting people, no matter if you know them personally or not, makes a huge impact on how you are viewed. Giving a greeting to someone in passing is a simple way you can show respect for that person. By looking them in the eye and saying a friendly “hello” or “good day”, you are in fact acknowledging that they exist and that they deserve a certain degree of respect from you. Doing this makes us all a little less anonymous in this vast sea of faces and name. It helps make the world a little more pleasant, as greeting another person almost always creates a very brief, but nonetheless positive relationship between you and them. Who knows, just by acknowledging someone, you might be making their day a little more bearable against the toils and tragedies of everyday existence. So my challenge is to everyone reading this, whether you are in college or busily working in the “real world,” is for you to make an effort to greet people as you see them. Whether it is the people you pass on the way to class or the cashier working behind the counter at the gas station, everyone appreciates being acknowledged, despite how annoyed or dismissive they may seem. Resist the temptation to look at your phone or pretend you are simply staring into the distance. Make the decision to be courteous and say "hello". In the long run, you will never go wrong by being friendly. Go forth and greet some fellow countrymen!

Photo credit goes to the Providence Journal in Providence, Rhode Island

Hello World

It was 2003. In an air-conditioned classroom at Hill Country Christian School of Austin in Austin, Texas, I was first introduced to a seemingly mundane concept. As it became a serious fad several years later, I did not make much of an effort to interact with the idea; fads have always made me uncomfortable. But sometimes fads become more than fads, sometimes an idea that appears to be only passing through town becomes a permanent resident. This "fad" I was introduced to, through an in-class newspaper reading assignment, was the concept of the blog, and as we have come to find out, it is certainly here to stay.

I love context. I begin this first post of The Pinstripes by explaining my brief history with blogging for this reason. For me, understanding why something happened and how it was perceived at the time is extremely vital to any attempt at intelligent thought. One cannot read through the Iliad of Homer without any knowledge of Greek tradition and culture and expect to fully understand what the author intended. Similarly, I feel that readers will receive the best experience when they understand some author background. Indeed, my background will influence and affect all of the posts you read on this blog.

My name is Matthew Norman. I come from Houston, Texas, though I currently reside in La Mirada, California at Biola University. I am a freshman Political Science major in the Torrey Honors Institute, and a proud member of the great Vanauken cohort group. I have a sister back home as well as year-old Maltese who never stops barking. I have never blogged before, and my experience with writing is mostly through school papers and some newspaper articles through the Civil Air Patrol. Obviously, my background consists of much more than I just described, but I figure that I've said all that needs to be said right now. The more important topic is the matter of what this blog will be about.

Simply put, this blog is about manners. Before you click the "back" button on your browser and return to Tumblr, allow me to explain the subject further. As a southerner, I am quite accustomed to individual politeness. My parents taught me to call adults "sir" and "ma'am", to make eye contact when speaking to someone, and to always hold the door for others. My father especially focused on the proper way for a man to treat a lady, and I have greatly benefited from this. Many individuals perhaps were not taught in this manner; some of the things I have been taught are culturally specific to the south. But one thing I have noticed is that people seem to appreciate the "southern hospitality" that my parents' lessons have instilled in me. I am in no way perfect, and any ability to be polite and display good manners I have I credit to my parents alone. However, I do feel that perhaps I can help raise awareness of ways we can be more civilized so that we can all enjoy each other's company in the best way possible.

Being from Texas, my only experience with California has been very short trips to the state, where I mostly interacted as a tourist. I really had no expectation for the Los Angeles area, except what I had always been told, that I should not expect the same type of friendliness I can expect in Texas. It was an incredibly pleasant surprise for me to discover that the people at Biola were as friendly as I could ask for. Everywhere I walk on campus, I can always find someone to talk to and a new person to meet. During the first week of classes, I recall sitting down and eating with someone in the Cafe whom I had just met, and we had a very pleasant conversation that showed genuine interest in getting to know the other person. I see such interactions occurring every day at Biola, and it is very encouraging. It seems that what I had been told coming to California was in fact based on inaccurate information, and I have never been happier to be misinformed.

My hope for this blog is that I can point out small courtesies that will help everyone be a better gentleman or lady, both at Biola and everywhere else. I would like to elaborate on small ideas such as greeting people as you pass them and why we should dress nicely for church, and to discuss their importance in an attempt to convince you to adopt such practices. I would especially appreciate feedback; tell me what you despise about my writing and ideas. Give me some suggestions for new topics or improvement to my methods. I need it!

The key to internet writing is conciseness, and I have obviously failed that. Most of my posts will be much, much shorter, but I thought that a greater length was acceptable here. I will try to post at least once a week. Thank you so much for reading. I hope to be able to entertain and engage with you soon! Have a good day.