I’m finding the people on the “F” subway train between Brooklyn and Manhattan an interesting bunch to observe.
Today, the dance, really a sport full of competition, of those trying to get a seat was kind of fun to watch. Surprisingly, a man got up and actually offered his seat to a woman. Another woman came up to take it and there was a brief “dance” between the two as to who was going to sit down. The first woman declined the seat. Then, another man a couple seats from me offered his seat to the first woman, still standing. She declined again, saying that she had on her sneakers so she was fine.
The through ran through my mind whether I was going to offer my seat to the other women standing around. What about “women’s lib?” Some women are actually offended if a man acts in a more chivalric way, but these women are getting older and their aging bodies are winning out over their politically correct minded indignation. That statement will get me in a lot of trouble. Oh well.
I didn’t get up. I was selfishly keeping my seat and justifying my self-centeredness with the assertion that if they want to be equal, then equal I will treat them because to another man I would not give up my seat. That is my own failing – my issue of resentment or indignation or whatever towards those kinds of attitudes.
There was this little boy on the train with his dad. I suspect he was around 4 years old. What an incredible imagination this kid had. I watched him play with a couple of his toys imagining all these different scenarios. He was so free with his thoughts – what a joy to watch him. He broke into a R & B’ish, Hip-Hop’ish version of Greensleeves (sp?). His father kept looking at him, as the kid was playing with his toys on is father’s leg, and just smiled and laughed. What a joy. (Of course, like any good uncle knows, I don’t have to be around for the care of a child when it is anything but fun!)
I do not think there is any greater joy or responsibility for humankind then to be involved in the formation of a new life. What an incredible privilege to mold and help a child come into his/her own sense of self in a mature and balanced form. What a travesty that society encourages the aspiration of self over the giving of self to the development of the next generation.