Thursday 16 December 2010

Culture and Hospitality Post Script

To each of you who have left comments about your farewelling experiences, thank you.  I have enjoyed hearing of how things are done in the South of the USA, South Africa....other's experiences here in Australia.  Such a mixed and varied collection of responses.

As I was certain would be the case, my nephew's observation and experience was not widespread.  I didn't think it would be.  I was certainly surprised that plenty of Aussies don't walk their guests out.  I was surprised, because I only know one family in our wide circle of friends who don't....but they do things so very differently to us, I thought it was just 'them'!

Since I ate lunch out today I will no doubt be suffering insomnia in the wee small hours of night and you can be sure this will consume some of my wakeful hours.  My encouragement and challenge to us all (including myself) would be this:  Let's determine to be intentional and deliberate about caring for our guests, from the moment the enter our homes, until the moment they drive away. 

Will you join me in my quest to be a blessing 
to the guests who grace us with the blessing of their company?

2 comments:

Sharon said...

Interesting post Tracy. It is not something i have really thought about before, but we always walk our visitors out to their car and wave them goodbye. Something my children and i have always done and just assumed everyone else did too. Glad to see my children follow in my footsteps in that regard, as their father is American and he used to virtually push visitors out the door and shut the door in their face. I was always horrified and embarrsed!

debbie bailey said...

Not all Americans are that way, Sharon! We live in Georgia, but growing up in Tennessee, it'd take us about thirty minutes to say goodbye. We'd walk toward the car a little, stop to talk some more, walk a little more, etc. until we made it to the car. Then we'd wave until they were out of sight.

I remember how stunned I was when we had guests in our home, and when it was time for them to go, that's what they did. They were gone in about five seconds. I felt cheated. Now when that same couple leave, I just quickly walk them to the door and wave them out to their car. I know they want to get gone, but I'm not going to be robbed of a proper send-off!