Always Open the Door for a Lady

I loved hanging out with my dad when I was a little boy. One of the things I remember is how he always opened the door for others. If he saw a woman or elderly person approaching a door, he would almost hurt himself in order to open the door for them. Sometimes he would just tell me to open the door. I liked doing it or I guess I liked the attention I got from doing it . . . especially from the pretty ladies. 

They were always appreciative and would give me a nice smile and thank-you for our kind deed.

One particular day I was with my dad especially stands out to me. We were going into a store. As we got close to the entrance I saw a woman approaching the door. She stood out because she had rollers in her hair, didn’t seemed to be dressed for a public appearance, and had a less than pleasant look on her face. She was walking fast, as if she was upset with whomever she was going to talk to in that store.

As I was thinking to myself "we better get out of her way," my dad rushed to the door and opened it with a big smile. 

The woman hesitated briefly. 

As she entered the door I could see a change in her demeanor. She slowed down, smiled, and said calmly, "Thank you gentlemen." She then entered the door as if she was the Queen of England. 

Afterwards, my dad looked at me and said, "Son, always open the door for a lady." 

I learned that day to treat people with dignity and respect regardless of their moods or behaviors. This changes your attitude towards others and it could change their attitudes toward you as well.