9- THANK YOU!...GONE EXTINCT!

"Excuse me, ma'am, did you forget something? I just paid $19.95 for my new Beatles T-shirt."
"Why, NO, I didn't!"
"How about an old-fashioned, respectful 'thank you'?"
Turn signals on cars, a polite 'thank you', allowing the next shopper in line in a market and the Dodo have all gone extinct in our American society. And this Socology educator doesn't understand.
To prove my point, I carry an extra ten dollar bill on some shopping forays. The first clerk to respond with a 'thank you' when I purchase something, gets it, with a smile and big 'thank you'. A stop yesterday at a popular convenience store, for a cold Dr Pepper reward? The bill was kept. And, after shopping out and about, the ten dollar bill continued to remain with me.
As I slowly drove along Richmond Road, in front of William and Mary's Wren Building, America's 2nd oldest college, an elderly lady entered the crosswalk. I stopped. She had the right of way. Halfway across she paused, glanced at me, smiled and said 'thank you'.
Guess who opened my car door, quickly walked over and handed her the ten dollar bill? She hugged me, said 'thank you', again. There were smiles behind me, NO irritated horns blowing around me...hmmmm.