Humbling before an Elderly

The autumn day promised of a bland, velvety and temperate weather the minute I stepped out of my shelter. It was an ideal time to get out for a walk to breathe some fresh air in the open space.

It was my day to fulfill my promise to collect the book I laid aside last week at Vinnies Op Shop in Macquarie Fields. It was held on account of trust and confidence by the staff who didn't even know me but my name only which I wrote on a piece of paper. It's a book of Mother Teresa's Private Writings (Come Be My Light) before she entered a very special calling which made her renown around the world through her charitable work, the Charity of Sisters Missionary.

Soon, I will glean some of her wisdom from this book that perhaps you and I haven't heard of yet, other than those that were already published.

That mission of keeping my promise was fulfilled along with tolerable extravagance in purchasing collectible junk and a pair of brand new shoes which I was lucky to spy on. The fitting is perfect for my size, comfortable, and have a decent design just the one I liked. Not everything in the op shop is hand-me-downs, used or second hand. Some are new if you are lucky to get there at the right timing just like the book mentioned above. It's brand new and in pristine condition. It's barcode tagged at US$22.95 which I only bought for A$2.00. Didn't I count my blessing? Sure, I did!

You may wonder why for such a minimal cost, I still had to put it on hold! Well, last week, I had spent all the money I had in my purse before that book was presented to me. The left over coins I had were not enough to meet the asking price. So I bargained favour with them if they could hold it for me, then I would come back to get it. They took me for my word especially after I bought some old books including Helen Steiner Rice poetry book. I spoke to the staff that I have been looking for Francis Gay's inspirational books called The Friendship Book.

One staff went to the storage cubicle and came out instead with Mother Teresa's book. Now I have it. Honest negotiation worked aided with integrity.

Today's story however is covered by Mahatma Gandhi's quotation which aptly applies to the scene I witnessed on the train on my way to Macquarie Fields via Ingleburn.

“I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps.”

For what I saw and heard had truly touched my compassionate heart. There was displeasure in the beginning more in regards to the initial behaviour of the person concerned. I even prepared my camera in case of any untoward eventuality. I kept on listening and waited to see what happens next though I felt awfully scared inside but seemly appeared nonchalant and unscathed.

The train I was on was bound for Campbelltown from Granville. When it stopped at Warwick Farm station, a man in his late 20's or early 30's came aboard with cigarette in his hand still smoking. By law, he was not allowed to smoke on a covered platform as in the case of that particular station let alone take a lighted cigarette inside the train or any public transport for that matter.

He was partly abrupt and the smoke wafted through the confine of the train car that one old man behind me was constrained to move out and find another place to sit on. I was nailed to my seat and could not move, so I decided to stay put but privately vigilant to the man in question.

The man three seats behind me reprimanded the young man of the smoke. He complained in his authoritative voice that the young man was not supposed to smoke inside the train per regulation by law.

The young man talked back and told the man behind me to mind his own business to the extent of swearing at him. He did crash his lighted cigarette on the floor which was so disgusting. The talk back session went on for sometime until the man with the cigarette finally looked back to whom he was backchatting to and then he realised he was talking to the elderly after he was reprimanded of his awful language.

He apologised and as if it was not enough, he stood up and offered his hand for a handshake which was taken by the old man and his apology accepted. Then the young man sat opposite to the old man's seat and he started behaving civilly and chatting with him. His tone changed into mild, friendly and respectful way. And the old man had softened his stance too.

During the course of their discussion, I looked at the old man with a sympathetic nod as a sign of my support to his courageous dare in chastising the young man. Having done it, I think my sympathy of support gave him the courage to deal with the young man. He never relented in correcting him. In the end he won.

Looking at the personality of the young man  though partly scrubby, he actually has a gentle face with a pair of mellow eyes. So I was very pleased that he decided to change his tone when he realised that there was a quiet lady in the background listening to their repartee.

I thought that the scenario would end up to something disgraceful and I would be a likely witness as it was just the three of us alone in that particular train car.

With so many incidents of violence involving verbal abuse going around in the news department with young versus old, one cannot just know what's a day is like out there - especially on long distance train with not many passengers on it.

It was a relief that my day was not smeared. That I came home safe and pleased with my purchase of the day.