Dear friends,

My delicate sensibilities have been squashed like a flower under the tire of a Mack truck.  Two or three times a year, Mike and I stay at one of those hotels that offers a free breakfast while home visiting his family.  Each time we are amazed at the sights we see.

Recently, we were mentioning to Mike’s mom that we often see adults in their pajamas eating breakfast in the restaurant area of these hotels.  She could not believe that adults would do such.

Believe it or not, the very next day we saw a 50ish year old woman in her pink pajamas, sans bra and robe, making herself at home with about 50 strangers.  Her husband had had the decency to put on his jeans and t-shirt before venturing into public.

So, what is the deal?  The word “comfort” is often bandied about in response to such a question, but there was a woman in her jersey shorts and t-shirt having breakfast.  Not only did she look like she was comfortable, but she was fully covered.

If the pajama woman had any sense of decency, then she had to feel uncomfortable while moving about in a mixed crowd.  I was uncomfortable looking at her.

There are two pearls of wisdom I hope you take from this post:

1.  We should teach our children a sense of propriety.  There is right and there is wrong.  There is appropriate attire for all situations.  Just as one would not wear cocktail attire to church, one should not wear their pjs to breakfast in public. These motels may need to create a no pajamas policy because the other 50 diners were visibly offended.

Mike and I debated the children wearing pjs in public.  My concern there is that that may be why adults think it is okay to wear their pjs in public – their parents allowed them to do that when they were young.  For my own children’s safety, I would not allow them to do such.  Public includes pedophiles.

Of course, a place like Great Wolf Lodge that is totally about kids having a great time, is different to me.  The children have on their pjs, and their fully-clothed parents accompany them through the halls.  The key here is for the parents to be with their children at all times.

2.  Not only should we strive to be comfortable, but also to make those around us comfortable.  If I would had gone to breakfast fully clothed, but loudly cussed like a sailor, I would have been equally inappropriate as the pj lady.

I am sick of the “me” society.  I want to usher in the compromise society.  Yes, I like to get my way, but common sense (oh no, I still have illusions that common sense exists), says I will only get my way part of the time.

Not only is the “me” society aggravating, but it is also dangerous.  I have seen drivers not pulling over so that an ambulance could pass, and I have seen cars go through a 4-way stop when it wasn’t their turn (and the person whose turn it was went also).

Let’s return to a gracious society that displays common sense, common courtesy, respect, dignity and propriety.  And please can we do this before I go to complimentary breakfast at another hotel?