Pants On The Ground

I like to think of myself as an open-minded person.  I was raised to believe (and do) that a person's worth is not based on his/her color, class, creed, sexual orientation, or whatever.  I like to think that people are innately good, regardless of how naive as others may find that line of thinking (or how many exceptions I see to this rule).  That being said, I received a lesson today that I thought should be shared.

A woman was attempting to get a shopping cart of her own this morning.  The carts were stuck together, and she was having a difficult time getting one to use.  Before I could get , I saw a young man stop in his tracks,  turn around, walk back out of the store, and pulled a cart loose for her.

While this would normally just be seen as common courtesy, I was struck by the scene.  The young man who went to help her was African-American, wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up over his head, and jeans that were sagging to his knees.  The woman was petite, Caucasian, and of a mature age.  I was admonished and learned three things in that very instant:

1.  Chivalry is NOT Dead.  I often have doors slammed in my face and have other drivers cut me off in traffic just to get to the next turn two seconds faster.  We often think that kindness is a lost art, generally because it seems that way.  This young man proved to me today that this is certainly not the case.  There are many people in this world who take time to hold doors for Mothers who struggle with strollers, individuals with limited mobility, and anyone else who happens along the way who could use a day brightening moment.  I watched this woman's  face light up at the small gesture provided for her.  That, dear friends, is the true beauty of the world.

2.  People ARE innately good.  At any given moment in time, you can check out the news to hear any manner of sad and desolate news. It is nice to see those stories that detail how kind we can be to one another.  This are the rule, not the exception.  Jackson Browne said "Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking." I agree, and the young man I saw today proved he is of impeccable character.   He also restored my faith in the belief that people, for the most part, are innately good, regardless of what the news says.

3.  Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover:  I will never understand the point of wearing jeans so large that the wearer has to walk with legs two feet apart just to keep them up or who continually pulls them up in an effort to prevent mooning the world.  That being said, in the end they are just clothes.  Teens in the 60's who had long hair and wore bell-bottom jeans were looked upon as lazy, and those teens grew up to become some of the most influential members of our society.   There is all the possibility in the world that the young man I saw today will do the same. And I would do well to remember that.