Where have the Etiquettes gone?

My late father was a symbol of chivalry and etiquettes and I always tried to copy him since my childhood. He was always dressed immaculately and walked and sat with grace. I remember he would tell us how to get dressed for an occasion. How to wear matching clothes, he would even go down to the colour of socks and shoes with a dress. He would take us to Shezan restaurant (on The Mall, Lahore) on our birthdays and the “birthday boy” used to order the tea and snacks or dinner and he was also to pay the bill (an appropriate amount already slipped into his pocket my our father). This training was essentially to inculcate confidence and etiquettes of ordering, calling in the waiter and managing the bill and its payment. 

As for the attire, we were told what colour combination was to be selected. What colour of the shoe and socks go with the upper gear I learnt in my childhood. I never wore a brown shoe with a black trousers or a black show with a brown trousers. And my socks were always matching. I also learnt not to sit with my legs wide apart when in company of people, specially women. As for sitting crossed legged, it was forbidden. And even if resorted to, the crossed leg was NOT to point toward a female if sitting in that direction. Obviously going along with everything else, I was to move out with combed hair and well pressed clothes. If guests were visiting, no slippers were to be worn as it gave a casual welcome.

So that is what I learnt and grew up. In those, celebrities that appeared on TV or guests in parties were equally well dressed. But what has gone wrong with the etiquettes now? Ever watched a “celebrity” in a TV show? Mostly one would find them shabbily dressed in casual attire wearing worn out jeans and joggers. Sitting with their legs wide apart or sitting cross legged facing their shoe directly into the face of woman sitting next to them. Buttons open shirts and havouc-hair on their heads as if some disaster went by recently.

I pity the younger generation which will grow up seeing and learning from such celebrities, which are unfortunately in abundance all over.