The matriarchs of my family have raised me to show my appreciation for everything I am given. 

Sensibly, this would be meals that have been cooked for me, gifts that have been given to me on national holidays and birthdays, and compliments that I’ve received. 

But a battalion of  “thank you’s” remains stationed in my cerebral cortex for even the most redundant of deeds. For example, the odds of anyone recalling a math class where they didn’t have worksheets are slim to none. 

Personally, math is my least favorite subject, but because of the copious number of worksheets I’m given per week, I find myself saying “thank you” the most in this class.  

Ok, I’ll admit, logarithms can be fun. And ultimately I am thankful for their worksheets. This is because I, like many other chronic, mindless “thank you” sayers, am appreciative of the opportunity I have been given to learn, objectively expanding my mental capacity.

And as I mentioned earlier, “thank yous” are overwhelmingly prevalent in the Southeast. You can liken them to “yes ma’am”s and “no ma’am”s and “yes sir”s and “no sir”s. 

Now .these phrases, like “thank you,” are simply used to imply one’s respect for others. But like saying “thank you” for the unnecessary, the absence of “yes ma’am,” “no ma’am,” “yes sir,” and “no sir,” in one’s colloquial doesn’t mean that they don’t value the aid of others, they just choose to express their gratitude differently. 

And that’s something I wish I chose to do, actively. 

Frankly, I only say “yes ma’am” and “yes sir” because my parents have conditioned me to address people with this show of respect. There are times when I believe they’re too formal. Uncomfortably formal, at times. 

Although I gripe about the stupidity of saying “thank you” with no superficial meaning, and I may be over-analyzing why I think I say “thank you” too much, there is not much one can do about it.

It could potentially be a fatal flaw, but we all have those.