A Gentleman

I am a practicing country gentleman, it seems like a dying breed these days and in some people’s eyes it is even looked at as offensive behavior, pfft! I am far from a perfect gentleman but having the traits and behavior of a gentleman is always at the forefront of my mind most of the time.

I pride myself on being a nice guy, being kind, having manners, and being courteous whenever possible. These things are all free and can really make an impact on someone’s day as well as make you feel better and have a positive outlook most days.

Over the years I have picked up many tips on how to be a gentleman and I will pass them on to you. Some are proper traits and some may just be my attempt at whimsy, you can be the judge and decide.

A true Southern gentleman never leaves the house without a pocket knife, a wrist or pocket watch (a phone does not count as a watch, no cheating), a handkerchief, good manners, and a good attitude. The knife is used in many situations including cleaning under fingernails, opening pesky packages, a screwdriver, carving on wood, cutting fruit, and just any number of routine activities including self-protection. A handkerchief can be used for wiping sweat from the brow, a tourniquet, blowing one’s nose, giving to another for unexpected sneezes, laid across a bit of mud for a lady to walk across as to not get her lovely shoes dirty, or a multitude of other reasons. A watch is a very important tool because a gentleman always respects others’ time and uses the watch to always be prompt.

A watch can also help you if you get lost – if the watch has hands and is not digital: To use your watch as an approximate compass (outside of the tropics) in the northern hemisphere, hold the watch horizontally and point the hour hand at the sun. Halfway between that point and the twelve o’clock mark on your watch points to the south. Most important to a practicing gentleman is his manners, manners matter and a true gentleman never leaves the house without them. These include but are not limited to opening doors for ladies and the elderly, carrying groceries or other bulky items for ladies and the elderly, saying ‘yes sir’ and ‘yes ma’am,’ ‘thank you’ and ‘please’ is a must, practicing good listening skills and polite conversation techniques, yielding the right of way while driving. Stand up to shake hands, when shaking hands make sure to give direct eye contact and a firm grasp of the shaker’s hand is a must, these are but a few gentlemanly traits. The most important trait is to treat others as you would treat yourself and put others’ needs before your own. This is Will B saying, no self-respecting Southern gentleman would ever use instant grits!