Celebrating Courtesy

I have a particular fondness for John Steinbeck and his rogue gallery of remarkable characters.  When Steinbeck wrote his characters he did so with a compassionate pen even while poking fun, exposing villainy and general writing about the darker side of humanity.  One feels that he had genuine affection for the people who possibly inspired his characters.  It seems to me that today we are often subjected to those who govern us pointing fingers at the downtrodden and weaker ones.  I don’t believe that is their role or what we truly want to hear, or am I of the few who find it offensive?

When people are successful it is good to celebrate them but it seems to me that society today is moving along a perilous path of simply idolizing individuals who have succeeded without any sort of balance.  What do I mean?  It’s as though we are making gods of celebrities (actors, politicians, sports figures, etc.) just because media promotes them, frequently publicizing bad behaviour.  When a person sees an inebriated individual on the bus or train they won’t sit beside them, they avert their faces and do their utmost to ignore the situation.  If Justin Beiber got on the train in a similar state, what do you suppose would happen?

Celebrating success is terrific but as a society we fail to celebrate simple goodness and decency.  There are days on the train when I feel like clapping or cheering when I observe someone give up their seat for another simply because it is so rare an observation.  Does that seem like a small thing to you?  In 20 to 25 days of the month I might see it happen once so for me it is quite a big deal.  Courtesy is extremely rare in today’s society so when you see it I hope that you can at least acknowledge it with a smile and a thank you.  And remember, we all deserve credit for being decent human beings.