What will the neighbours think?

When I was growing up my mother had few discipline methods available. I think I was hit by her hand twice in my lifetime. My mother's favourite admonishment would be to exclaim "What will the neighbours think?!"

Appearance was very very important to mom. She prided herself for always wearing stockings, even in the middle of August. She was the only woman on our street who never wore her hair in curlers out in public. And, she would always wear her lipstick. Mom believed in buying quality. She was thrifty with her money and would buy very little for herself...but when she did buy something it was always the best quality.

Good manners, nice appearance, respectable behaviour were tandamount to mom. So, if I was out of line on any of the above I would here her plea, "What will the neighbours think?'

At age 13, if I wanted to wear nail polish I would hear, "What will the neighbours think? (i.e. do you want to look like a slut). If I wanted to spend my allowance on many cheap quality clothing items instead of one good-quality I would hear "what will the neighbours think? Sunbathing in the backyard in a bikini? (you know the rest).

All of this was quite amusing to me because in all honesty we didn't know most of our neighbours...or a least we didn't know them well. And yet they, and all of society, held this pull over my mother that ensured a sense of decorum in all that she did and said in public.

Of course as a teenager I soon began to rebel against my mother's restrictions and yelled back "I don't care what anyone thinks" and I would prance around to show my disdane temporarily.

However, I must admit mom's carjoling had an effect on me and I think I was a pretty trouble-free adolescent. I know that I still try to keep my behaviour in check in public and I am constantly admonishing teenagers around me for a) swearing in public b) littering c) loudness.

But, the other day I couldn't help but laugh at myself. Dylan was enjoying the brief day of sunshine and in pleasure he tilted his head back and sang at the top of his voice. Without thinking I stopped him by saying, "Dylan, what will the neighbours think?" Yikes....the next generation.