A matter of courtesy

We all meet many people as we go about our daily business, and for most of us, a handshake is the order of greeting. I have found that some men shake my hand, but look elsewhere, as they parrot their 'good to meet you', or 'how do you do?'
Both greetings lack sincerity because the person does not have the courtesy to look me in the eye.
Does it irk? Yes, but it also says something about the men who don't have the confidence to greet a woman equally.
Women do notice these things, and we also notice the firmness of a handshake. Sometimes a woman's handshake is lost in the man's firmness, but conversations I have had, we prefer a firm to a limp handshake. But not a handshake where they almost crush your hand and fingers.
This week is Clean up New Zealand week organised by Keep New Zealand Beautiful (KNZB). People around the country will be out picking up other people's litter, and school children everywhere will be doing a major share of the work.
On my drive to and from Stratford every week, I am dismayed at the amount of litter on the roadside: cans, bottles, takeaway food packs of wrappings complete with drink container, and plastic drink bottles. The other week I went into a rest room in the central North Island and someone had left a disposable nappy on the floor. Instead of taking the nappy with them, as the absence of a bin suggested, it was left behind.
KNZB has embarked on a campaign to rid our streets of unsightly cigarette butts.
With the introduction of legislation banning smoking indoors in a public place, the prevalence of cigarette butts has increased.
They are asking councils to assist with the campaign and in Wellington and Auckland they have seen a significant drop in cigarette butt litter. It comes back to personal responsibility, but judging by the amount of litter on roadsides and rubbish that spilled out of wastebaskets at rest stops, we have a long way to go before we see a change in the national psyche toward disposing of our rubbish.
Having a stylish butt container for easy disposal would also help smokers.
KBZB has come up with a solution to unsightly graffiti.
They will pay the graffitist to paint a mural instead of their graffiti tagging.
They recognise the graffitist has talent, and instead of the ongoing reactive painting out of the tagging at a great cost to the community, they are including them to put their talents to a community good.
Letters to the Editor is a way the community can voice their concerns or opinions, refute what they read, or applaud the unsung heroes.
I was asked if the Stratford Press would consider a place where members of the community could place an opinion piece. The Press is your paper and invites comment at any time, written in a letter to the Editor. Sometimes the letter will invite a story and a right of reply is sought.
Stratford has some great people all working for the good of the community. We applaud the veterinary team who protect the native wildlife, and farewell a bull named McGillie.