A gentleman . .
.
1. Keeps to the
right, whether he is walking on a sidewalk, down a hallway or on
the stairs.
2. . . . does not
attempt to walk and send text messages simultaneously.
3. . . . waits for
a woman to initiate a social kiss. If she leans toward him, he
turns his cheek toward her lips. And when she graces him with a
light, brushing kiss, he doesn't dawdle in accepting it.
4. . . . doesn't
wipe away a lipstick smudge in the presence of the woman who
planted it on him. He bears it, even if briefly, as a badge of
honor, wiping it away later with a handkerchief.
5. . . . waits
until a lady at the table lifts her fork before he takes his first
bite.
6. . . . eats the
garnish on his dinner plate if he so desires.
7. . . . places his
knife and his fork on his plate side by side, as if they were the
hands of a clock set at 5:25, when he's finished eating.
8. . . . always has
an umbrella to share.
9. . . . never
wears a belt when he is wearing suspenders.
10. . . . leaves
the bottom button of his vest undone.
11. . . . never
wears a bow-tie with a button-down shirt.
12. . . . owns at
least one pair of black lace-up shoes.
13. . . . usually takes his shirts to the laundry but knows how
to use an iron and spray starch.
14. . . . is careful about what he says in e-mails. He
meticulously reviews his messages, editing if necessary to make
sure recipients will understand what he's saying — and the tone in
which he says it.
15. . . . knows how to make a grilled cheese sandwich at 2 a.m.
and an omelet at 7 a.m.
16. . . . doesn't flaunt his newest gadgets, no matter how
expensive or cutting-edge they may be.
17. . . . feels no
necessity to wear socks after Memorial Day — at least in casual
situations. If he is Southern, he may not even wear them to
church.
18. . . . never
wears the same pair of blue jeans two days in a row.
19. . . . puts the
liquor away when he wants guests to leave.
20. . . . always
offers to get up and make the coffee in the morning.
21. . . .
never waits for something better to turn
up.