Ladies and Gentlemen

"Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines! Let's get ready to rumble! Please stand!" These are all ways an announcer starts a big event. It is nice to hear, and it should mean all of us; but the truth is, we are losing it. The art of acting like ladies and gentlemen is getting lost. I am shocked at the amount of people who have stopped expecting respect in fear they might offend someone.

Our gender is a gift. I am a lady. I am born to have softer skin, less facial hair, smaller muscle, and the option to give birth. I am grateful for this role. I will never have the strength of a testosterone raged male. He will never have the opportunity to give birth. It is our role and a part of our identity.

Acting like a lady doesn't mean you stop being capable; it is the opposite. Being a lady means having an opinion and the power and voice to speak it. Being a lady is sitting up tall with your knees together. Being a lady is saying please, thank you, and you're welcome. If you are asked on a date, he should call and come to the door to pick you up, not text and honk! This is absolutely unacceptable! You need to respect yourself! BEING A LADY means I respect myself enough to expect respect! I will respect myself enough to respect you. Being a lady doesn't mean we give up power. Being a lady is showing the world we love our power and use it respectfully and tastefully.

I went to the Mall of America for a business hair show. When I went to the mall, I watched a group of young men. They rushed to the door plowing over elderly, a mother with a stroller, and me. I was so angry. "I have a son your age and he would never! How dare you!" I thought. So I stood at the door and watched for a moment. I was so upset! It took me a couple seconds, then I thought, "I should just watch for a moment and see if it was rude kids or if this is the culture of the youth in this area." As I watched I realized it was common. Mothers with their children didn't expect respect from their kids. Plowing through, pushing, budging, interrupting, were all common practices. I promised myself right then and there, if I ever got an opportunity to teach someone the art of being a lady or a gentleman, I wouldn't keep my mouth shut. I wouldn't just think it; I would express it.

We do not need to give up the art of respect. In fact, we need to work harder than ever to respect our gender and our opportunities because of it. Being beautiful is more than makeup , hair, size, or gender. It's about loving yourself and respecting yourself enough to try, to expect that behavior in return. Let's try harder to be LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

(This content is part of our Vintage Collection)