Modern Etiquette: Dealing with flu in the modern world
By Mary M. Mitchell (Reuters) - If you think that etiquette is limited to which fork to use, think again. Etiquette is simply kindness with a heavy helping of common sense. That’s why etiquette helps get things done, and it responds to what’s going on in the world at any given time. Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave somewhere, you are aware of the flu situation. Here are tips for keeping our lives as healthy and safe as possible: 1. Curb your enthusiasm. Whether it’s flu or a common cold,we pass it along through human contact. So rein yourself in whenyou feel like hugging and kissing your family and friends, nomatter how happy you are to see them. 2. Replace shaking hands with a pat on the shoulder or,better still, an enthusiastic wave. Then put your hands in yourpockets. As long as your body language is friendly, the otherperson will not be offended. Remember, handshakes were inventedas a gesture of friendship, a signal of harmony. Even though thehandshake is the universally accepted greeting in North America,the flu threat mandates that we demonstrate our goodwilldifferently. 3. Carry copious amounts of hand sanitizer and use it. Offer it to others when you are at a restaurant or a meeting. 4. If someone gives you a sloppy kiss on the cheek, oranywhere else, wash it off as soon as you can without offendingthe other person. Get yourself to a restroom, fast. 5. Don’t go to parties, or even to work, if you are feelingany flu-like symptoms. Consider this payback for all the timeswhen we tried and failed to skip school as children by tellingour parents that we were “sick.” Isn’t it ironic that once wegrow up we somehow think we have to be half dead before we stayhome? 6. Cancel parties and meetings, if you have any suspicionthat bringing a large group of people together can be a healthrisk. Your guests will forgive you, as long as you rescheduleonce the scare is past. And it’s relatively easy to organize aconference call to take the place of a meeting. Just be sure tokeep accurate lists of who was supposed to be there, so youdon’t leave anybody out, when you do reschedule. 7. If you are traveling by air, see whether the airlinepolicy allows for cancellation due to illness. Trip insurancemight be a very good investment during flu season. You mightinvest in a portable ionizer to wear around your neck. They aresupposed to sanitize the immediate surrounding air. And, asridiculous as you might feel, it’s better to wear a mask thanrisk infecting anybody else or becoming infected yourself. Ithink airlines should provide masks if they continue to make itso difficult to change flights. Another good reason to providemasks is that flights are so crowded these days changing yourseat is nearly impossible. 8. Should you have allergies that masquerade as cold or flusymptoms, be sure to put others at ease by telling them thatyour sneezes are not contagious. 9. Think birthday cupcakes instead of birthday cakes. Everybody gets to blow out a candle, and nobody spreads germs. 10. Remember that it’s more important than ever – and it’ssimply good manners – to keep ourselves healthy so that we canboth set an example and not cause setbacks for anybody else. 11. Above all else, do not ask a flu sufferer whether he orshe has gotten a flu shot this year. It will only compound thesuffering.(Mary M. Mitchell has written several books on the subject of etiquette, now in 11 languages, most recently "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Modern Manners Fast Track" and "Woofs to the Wise". She is the founder of executive training consultancy The Mitchell Organization (www.themitchellorganization.com). The opinions expressed are her own.) (Editing by Michael Roddy)
