Hey, how are you guys doin'?

Over the weekend, Charmaine and I went off to a fancy-schmancy resort up North. We were looking forward to a fine dining experience at their highly-rated restaurant with a gorgeous lake view. The setting couldn't have been better, then the high-school aged table assistant poured our water, greeting us "Hey, how are you guys doin'?"

Call me a snob, but would "How are you this evening?" been asking too much? We're about to drop big money for a 6 course meal, and we're greeted like it's a deli counter. We grimaced out a "fine," only to be bombarded with "Would ya like a lemon in that?" ARGGG!

Are language skills a lost art? Does every conversation have to be dumbed-down to a NASCAR driver level?

The waiter, perhaps a sophomore in college, wasn't any better, referring to us as 'guys' all night long. On a more waiter-centric critic, his poorly timed, even rushed presentation of the meal, with a lack of attention to detail (we'll need a spoon for that soup) pretty much took the bloom off the rose for a nicely prepared meal.

It's my opinion that this slang is symptomatic of a general laziness that has overtaken our whole culture. Manners are optional, respect for elders is laughable, littering, road rage, even what passes for entertainment all goes back to a 'lowest common denominator' approach to everything in our society.

I, for one, am tired of it.