To Hold or Not To Hold

(No, this is not about bathroom breaks on a roadtrip.)


My thoughts about holding the door for other people were stirred by this article on HelloGigles.com. Unlike a lot of people that I run into on a daily basis, I not raised by wolves; instead, I was raised by two parents who were sticklers for "the proper way to do things." As a teenager, my father took me outside on a sunny summer day and proceeded to teach me "The Proper Way to Wash the Car." 


"The Proper Way To..." list should also include a section on holding the door for the person behind you.


Not so long ago, in college, my friends and I had to trick guys into holding the door open for us. Some of the academic building had really heavy doors, and I was usually carrying around 2 Norton anthologies (not by choice). When we saw someone (especially a guy) opening the door to go through it, the only way to get him to hold it for you was to dash through really  quickly, throwing a "thanks!" over one's shoulder. Some men started to catch on, but not enough to make us stop doing it.


Having to do this sneak attack to get someone to help you out is pretty depressing. Many times I wind up awkwardly holding the door for someone who is kind of far behind me, or muttering "hey, thanks!" under my breath after those people who don't say it to me when I've paused in my daily commute to not slam a door in their face. Yet I continue to consider the person behind me.


I know it's technically February, but could more people make a resolution to not be an ass and hold the door open for others? Maybe this resolution could take the place of the one you've already broken? It's really much easier than going to the gym.