Be nice!

I love going to Sam's. I especially love eating the pepperoni pizza smothered with the hot red peppers and parmesan cheese. Then I dip the end crust in ranch dip. Sometimes, I dip the part with cheese and pepperoni too.

Since around Thanksgiving, I've been wanting to taste the new tornados - fried chicken or beef taquitos. I could just never resist the pizza...

After much pleading (yeah right!), my sweet husband agreed to finish them after I take one bite each.

Anyway, I patiently waited in line while staring at the tornados, half-deciding if I should change my mind because I could practically hear the pizza calling my name. Then it was my turn...

I got a bit excited about getting the tornados that I bumbled my words before I finally got out "Can I have one chicken and one beef?"

She just looked at me, smiled and said, "Please?"

Recovering from the bucket of shame that made me almost as white as my husband, I smiled back and asked "pppllleeeaaassseeeee..."

Walking back to the car, I wondered how long I have been forgetting to say "please". I thought about the kids I teach and how many times I told them to say please during snack time. I remembered how my mom and dad patiently and repeatedly taught me to say please (Fil: paki-). I wondered how long have I ignored other people's service. Have I been rude?

For this new year, wouldn't it be nice to get back to the basics and remember to be nice. Maybe I can begin calling the grocery store cashiers, servers, anyone with a name plate by name. Whatever I do, I'll start by being nice and saying "please".

Philippians 2:3