Mind Your P’s and Q’s

How many times have you heard that saying in your life? Do you know what it means? I’ve always been told that it was about pints and quarts, barmaids and fairly drunken patrons. Maybe it’s true, maybe not. Regardless, I’ve continued to use the saying!

Last night as Colton was going to sleep he was in the stage where he was winding back up rather than down (common in 8-year-olds). I told him to mind his P’s and Q’s and was met with the question of what does that mean? I gave him a light explanation about pints and quarts. He responded by saying, “that doesn’t make any sense, Nana. It should be priorities and qualities.”

Now THAT makes sense! When we are not acting correctly we certainly do need to give thought to our priorities and qualities. Isn’t it interesting that priorities and qualities can go hand in hand in a child’s mind? If we adults paid more attention to our priorities and those qualities that support our priorities, we would see positive change and we might possibly create a different world.

Let’s look at two things that have turned our world upside down in the last few months. COVID-19 has ravished our country (and world). It is a virus with so many unknowns still in play. Medical experts have been pretty clear that they don’t know everything about the virus, including the best ways to combat and avoid it. We have heard that we don’t need masks, that we should now wear masks, that we should distance, that we should stay at home, that essential workers can still work – and essential has been broadly defined. We are on to Phase 2 in North Carolina, relaxing some restrictions but still indicating that we need masks, that we need to distance, some businesses can open, some may not. We have local government agencies that have chosen to follow none of the restrictions. If you follow where I am going with this, we have been told things work, only to be told they do not and we have local government that don’t appear to be following any orders at this point. We’ve been asked to implement restrictions, only to have them lifted or changed. Each time I leave our house, which isn’t often, I witness the majority of people not wearing masks, not distancing, going about daily life as though our state hasn’t had 939 individuals die from this virus. That number, as of today, includes a child that passed away from symptoms related to the virus. You may know none of the people included in that 939 number but what if you did? Would personal knowledge make you mind your P’s and Q’s more closely?

The second thing that I’d like to think about is the protests, destruction and looting that has taken place under the auspices of changing behaviors that ultimately caused (in my opinion) the death of George Floyd. The tragic way in which this man died is without question, horrific. I do believe that our law enforcement officers must be held to a higher standard of behavior. When you swear someone in to serve and protect there are behaviors and responsibilities that come along. Those officers (all of them) must mind their P’s and Q’s. What has been lost in translation is that the vast majority of law enforcement officers work hard to serve and protect. There are no excuses for the murder of George Floyd, and there are no excuses for the officers that stood by and watched it happen. I think that most people share that viewpoint. That said, looting, destroying property, and assaulting law enforcment officers fails to create change. Blocking streets and leaving trash strewn all over our streets doesn’t create change. In watching news reports I’ve heard everything from protestors using colorful language to berate officers, to flash bombs being used to back up protestors and all manors of behavior in between. I detect disdain from media reporters about protestors being arrested, while those reporters admit that the emergency curfew has passed and protestors have been asked multiple times to leave the area. Once there has been a curfew enacted I believe that we need to (at least) attempt to follow it. I’ve also watched, via a Facebook live feed from my niece, a peaceful protest where people were kneeling or sitting and verbalizing that they want to be the change. As you read this, which groups do you think would be well served by minding their P’s and Q’s?

In closing, this is not a political post. Each and every child of God matters. Your preferred politics don’t make you unworthy. Depending on your views, the next person you come in contact with may think you are different than them and that could be true. I would think that we can all understand and respect that. This post doesn’t address skin color. The same boy that says we should mind our priorities and qualities – he doesn’t see color in his friends, neither young or old. He just sees his friends.

Maybe we should take a lesson from a wise young boy and mind our P’s and Q’s. It’s worth considering, don’t you think?