You might think that I just wrote the name of an Ivy League university twice; however, one of those "Harvard" references is the name of one of the largest janitorial services companies in the U.S. The core message of this essay is to always treat everyone with respect throughout your entire life.
While I like to think that I am only 30% of the way through my long life, I'm hopeful that I will be treated with kindness and spoken to respectfully, even when I only have 30% of my life left. Intriguingly, when I am a very old man, I would like to be spoken to with no more or less respect than the man I am today. While I appreciate the standards of military service, I do not believe that older men and women, grandparents, and boomer businessmen need to be addressed so formally as "Sir" and "Ma'am." However, I do feel that all of the aforementioned, in addition to everyone else, need to be spoken to and treated with respect.
Sometimes the elderly disrespect the youth, perhaps because they've not yet been taught to respect the elderly. While that is very much a chicken and egg conundrum, I can confidently say that I am a more wholesome person because I have been taught from a young age to respect everyone I meet, whether a business owner or a janitorial staff member, whether over an hours-long meeting or simply in passing.
Respect should be initially freely given to all and rescinded only after having received an action that warrants its removal. This perspective of universal respect transcends mere politeness; it attempts to recognize the unique value that each one of us is capable of. The metaphorical comparison between Harvard University and Harvard Janitorial Services challenges societal perceptions and stereotypes about status and self-worth while emphasizing that an individual is not defined by their job title or their alma mater.