This summer, i have noticed hummingbirds licking their lips. Well, actually, they are licking their beaks. They lick their lips, and then they clean their beaks by wiping them on the branch they are sitting on. All birds wipe their mouths after eating. Two quick swipes--one side and then the other. So polite. I'm not sure about the tongue-sticking-out gesture though.
Politeness can seem old-fashioned, yet it's the simple act of showing respect and consideration for another person. Or animal.
Yesterday, a friend teased me by making a biting comment. She knew it would get my goat. I refrained from tit-for-tat and simply smiled. I'm practicing one of the mottoes of non-violent communication: Connection not correction.
I do love to correct people. I like to be accurate. I like to stick to the facts. So refraining from correction doesn't come easily to me.
If birds can be polite, so can i.
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