Proper Manners

I know I’m late to the party, but just this week I started watching Downton Abbey. I’m only one episode into the first season, and even though I’m watching it on my tiny little iphone screen, I’m already hooked on the show! In case you’ve been hiding out on a deserted island for the last few weeks and haven’t heard all of the buzz, Downton Abbey is a British period drama set on the estate of an aristocratic family during the years leading up to the First World War. The show explores the drama of the family as well as the estate’s staff. In the first episode, we were introduced to Mr. Bates, and I think he may already be my favorite character.

He is the valet (which I’ve been saying wrong all these years…it rhymes with mallet) to Lord Grantham. Mr. Bates was wounded in the Boer War and stoically suffers with a lame leg, but Lord Grantham is pleased to employ him anyway. (Who wouldn’t want Mr. Bates serving them daily?) Certain staff members are put out by his disability and resentful of his connection to Lord Grantham, and will therefore do anything to get rid of him. Some have even gone so far as to physically knock him down in front of visiting dignitaries.

But Mr. Bates is proud and honorable and never repays malice in kind. Even when he has the opportunity to expose these staff members to save his own position, he does not. He is a proud and perfect gentleman!

Watching Mr. Bates has made me think, though. I do not conduct myself with those manners. Not in the least. If someone does something unjust to me, I waste no time in finding someone to tell all about it. I relish the telling, in fact! Sure, I’m a nice person. I can be very nice. I’m perfectly pleasant to strangers, and I behave very well with my friends. But I can have a serious attitude with people who are bugging me. Just yesterday I found myself shooting daggers when a coworker treated me in a way that I perceived to be unsatisfactory. If my kids looked at me like that, I’d send them to the corner. Mr. Bates wouldn’t behave like that.

So not only is Downton Abbey going to provide me countless hours of pleasure during my treadmill time, but it is going to help me with my manners. From now on, when I find myself getting irritated, I’m going to think WWBD? What would Bates do?