The person who shines your shoes deserves the same dignity and respect as the person who signs your paychecks.
PopPop’s Additional Comment: I worked at a very large and wonderful financial institution for about 5 years. I usually would stay at work until around 7:00 p.m. and then I would go home. The cleaning crew would start cleaning our offices around 6:00 p.m. As they were working, I would wave to them and sometimes if they had a personal question, I would try to give them advice. About 10 years after I left that financial institution, I was at our local department store going up to the second floor on the escalator. A woman waves to me on the neighboring escalator, which was going in the opposite direction. I smiled back at her. I had no idea who she was. About 2 minutes later, I am standing in front of her and her daughter. She said: “Do you remember me?” I did not. She said she worked on the cleaning crew at the financial institution when I was there and appreciated the kindness I gave to her and then she started crying. This confirms that the above lesson is in fact, very important.
All relationships are built upon openness, honesty, and respect. If one is missing, the relationship is probably doomed to fail.
Use your wit to amuse, not abuse. PopPop’s Additional Comment: Making fun of others is not funny; in many cases, it can be defined as bullying. My mother and probably your mother used to say to us: “If you can’t say something nice, then just don’t say anything.” We can agree; our mothers were right !!