OK, when I'm on my way to work and the bus I'm on is full I"m usually left standing. When a seat close to me becomes vacant I offer it to my closest "respective elder"........I've always considered this a good deed...a random act of kindness.....a sign that I was brought up properly....until it happened to me. Soooooo there I was on a full bus this morning and left standing, a seat a little bit in front of me became vacant and I did not move to occupy it because there was a younger girl in front of me (around 17ish) and I figured that since we were pretty much "equals" that she would just take the seat......Yaaaaaaaaa NO! Instead she turned around and offered me the seat and at first it took me a minute to actually understand that it was me she was offering the seat to because in my mind as I said before we were " equals". Once it sunk in that I am probably more then 10 years older then her and therefore her "respective elder". I thanked her graciously and took the seat which seemed to please her immensely..I on the other hand spent the rest of my 45 minute bus ride to work obsessing with the fact that I am now of an age where I can be offered "the vacant seat", called Ma'am and Mrs. Gilks.....Seriously???
