of respect and the lack thereof

i just stumbled on Gist Merchants blog post today where he mentioned the many moral failings of nigerian society today. i actually didn't have any comment to make to that post because it was stating an obvious reality but then it triggered the recollection of an incident that occured a few days ago.

for context, gist merchant noted that the socially entrenched need to respect older people whether known or unknown had long since gone. some of the comments to that post noted that children now look familiar elders in the eye and walk on by like nothing happened without so much as a good morning. all i could think when i read that comment was, 'you're having it good if all these startlets do wrong is not greet you'. i wouldn't be less bothered if a fly shat on a wall. so there i was after work one day, heading home when i dropped from my car two houses away by a row of shops. i wanted to buy something or the other and hadn't quite stood there for a minute (waiting to be attended to by the store owner who was inside) when i heard someone half whisper in the most seductive voice she could clearly muster: "goodevening Sir, i LOOOVE your tie"...yes, just like that from the blues with the pulled "loooove" like we were in bed.

naturally, i thought maybe it was one of my neighbours trying to fake her voice to tease me and i turned around with a half smile, only to behold a 15 year old girl complete with barbed school-girl style hair standing within inches from my back with her head tilted to one side and smiling mischievously. i did not recognize her from a stick in the sand and in the shock of the moment found myself stepping back as a reflex action and asking her "excuse me?". i swear part of me did not want to believe it could be me she was speaking to, but she wasn't holding a phone and there was noone else within listening range.  she smiled even more seductively and said "i said i loooove your dressing". i could have sworn she was about to touch me. at this point, my face went into full war mode and i said: "is everything okay? do i know you?" (cos this is how people get filmed on candid camera or something weird)... luckily for her, the store owner came out and said "julie what is the matter? is there a problem? wey ya mama?"...at which she straightened her posture and her face, and produced a very rumpled envelope from goodness-knows-where which she stretched out to me and the said to noone in particular that she was trying to raise funds for their school's christmas party and wanted to give me the envelope. the woman saw the very confused look on my face and collected the envelope from her and asked her to go home.

i mean really. all i could think was, is this what it has come to? not only are young children ignoring their elders but they have no qualms approaching men twice their age in the most 'come hither' manner with such boldness? i swear there was a time when my sisters wouldn't even answer a strange guy saying hello as they walked along the street, much less going up to people in the dark and talking all 'invite me over to your place' type thingy. but i guess its just me getting old.

see y'all around peeps. please share your own "children of now-adays are so spoilt" stories in the comments section (and enjoy the feeling of being part of the past generation). :)