I remember when I was on a business trip in Austin, Texas, in the early 1990's. I worked then, as now, for the State of Texas, and we were ensconced in an upscale hotel that gave the state a rate for employees on business. At breakfast, I asked the waitress if I could get a diet Coke instead of a coffee. She was not sure: she had not served diet Coke for breakfast before. I got my diet Coke. The next morning, a couple of other patrons asked for soft drinks for breakfast, too.
Now, it is not unusual in fast food restaurants as well as sit down restaurants to get soft drinks at breakfast. (Truck stops served soft drinks at breakfast for years before this.) So much has changed in our society in the last 20 plus years.
Conventions change. Our society has become so much less formal over the years. This is not bad, except that we have lost some of the politeness and consideration that went with the formality. Good manners do not require formality. They just require consideration of other people. We should not confuse the two.
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