Courtesy is never too much

One foggy and chilly morning in Taipei, people with cold faces rushed to somewhere. Some were waiting at intersections to catch a bus or MRT; others were grasping breakfast at the stands along the street. Everything seemed like a flash. Though full of people, the city was quiet at this moment. On MRT, no one had energy to make a move on his face, not even to talk to each other. It was deadly silent. Off MRT, I tranferred to a bus. An old lady got in from the back door. All the seats were taken, but she preferred not to disturb any, standing behind those priority seats. After a few stops, a middle-aged woman sitting next to her stood up and was surprised to see the old lady standing next to her for a while. She cried, nodding her head in a row, " I am so sorry, ma'am. I hadn't noticed you." Taking her daughter's hand, the woman got off and still nodded her head, looking up to the old lady, feeling sorry. She really meant it. The old lady smiled, saying nothing. I felt warm and peace at the minute. I wonder how rarely it would be necessary for the mother to verbally "teach" her child good manners. It reminded me one time on MRT every seat was occupied. A mother and her son got on. The boy next to my friend said loudly, " how come I get no seat?" My friend instantly stood up and gave her seat to him. The mother said nothing at all, looking " why not?"
Taking is actually easy; giving takes love, understanding, and compassion. When parents work so hard to support their children to be "competitive" in the future, do they only train them to be capable of taking or giving? To be greedy to take as much as they want at any cost? To deprive others of what they have had to satisfy themselves? What kind of children do we expect in the future? Are you counting on this kind of generation to make this world a better place?