Man-up

Can't seem to find the strength to return that phone call? Fingers aren't able to type a reply to the e-mail that's been in your inbox for weeks? Promised to get back to someone, but just couldn't muster the will? Having a hard time telling someone the truth?

If so, you're not alone. Bad manners -- or, at the very least, a gross lack of common decency -- seem to be going around these days. Maybe it's the economy.

Or maybe being rude is the new black. You, know, hip.

Call me old fashioned -- you won't be alone! -- but I say enough! Not returning phone calls, ignoring e-mails -- in general, not responding -- truly is bad form. Enough! These times, during which little is going well for many, require all of us to rise up, reach out and overcome our frailties. It's time to take a huge step toward humanity, toward decency and honor, toward a world where people treat each other with dignity and respect as a way of life.

In short, it's time to man-up. And, yes, this includes women, too.

I'm not sure of the origin of this newly-emerging expression, but 'man-up', a verb, appears to refer to the act of taking responsibility for one's actions -- especially when an emotional backbone and internal fortitude (read: guts) are required. Hence, 'Randy manned-up when he told his boss that he had likely caused the damage to the machinery.'

To be sure you have a firm grasp of the concept, please use 'man-up' in a sentence about a woman who missed a deadline, causing the customer to cancel the account. I'll wait.

Okay. Nicely done. See how the expression works for both genders? It may sound gender-specific, but it has broad applicability.

(A quick side-bar. That it's man-up certainly suggests that men, more than woman, have a greater propensity to lack the strength and courage to own up to their own actions. It's not woman-up, after all. Regardless, we'll leave that to another time.)

Back to the topic at hand. I say again: It's time for all of us to man-up. We can't control the economy at home or abroad, the gushing oil in the gulf, international tensions, or the number of obnoxious TV and radio spots for candidates we find repugnant. Actually, come to think of it, there's not much we can control beyond our behavior. So, let's start there. Join me in agreeing to a small set of behaviors -- common decencies, actually -- that will help all of us during these very challenging times. Let's all agree to:

• Return phone calls within 48 hours
• Answer e-mails within 24 hours
• Respond to requests within 48 hours

-- even if the response is "No, sorry.", "I don't know yet, but will know something by [insert specific time here].", or "I wish I could help, but can't."

The operating assumption here is that people would rather be treated respectfully than be ignored. (I know. A wild assumption that.)

Who's with me? Who has the courage to treat others with dignity and respect by doing something so basic as responding to their calls, e-mails and requests promptly? Who will stand with me? Who will man-up?

I'll start. I state, for all to see in cyberspace, that I vow to treat everyone with dignity and respect by answering all calls, e-mails and requests promptly. I will man-up.

Starting sometime next week, sooner if I have the backbone.