“Here Ma’am,
you can have my seat”, said the young fellow on the crowded Max the late the other
night. Well, I hesitated, looked at all
the people standing, and with a reluctant sigh sat down. Then I went thru all the other thoughts.
Thoughts such as, maybe the very over weight person standing nearby could use
the seat, or did I look as tired as I felt?
I appreciated the tone and the way the person offered the seat to me. I almost took the seat as a way to thank the
person. Then I felt “privileged” to be offered a seat. Privilege and respect
can go a long way, but am I really in a privilege class? Does being a healthy,
fit senior with a little grey hair make me a “privilege” person? If the bus had come to a sudden stop, if I
were standing and holding a bar above me, would my arm/shoulder get more
damaged than the young twenty something standing next to me? Possibly. Again with grace and gratitude, I enjoyed my
Max ride! How do you feel when offered a seat on the bus?
The first time someone offered me his seat on a crowded commuter train outside of San Francisco, I was so taken aback that I blurted something like: "No, thanks. Give it to someone who needs it." Ungracious of me, at best. I realized then that I don't "see" myself like others do!
ReplyDeleteMy standard response is 'no thank you, I am fine'. Somehow, at almost 72, it just isn't in me yet to take over a seat someone else had taken. Maybe at 80.
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