Tuesday, July 04, 2006

How to train courtesy?


We have been training the entire body so far... but man... some other stuff -courtresy- also needs training. Today I was 15 mins late for work. Why? I fell down (but what about all that single leg training thats supposed to prevent this haha!!) ugh. Getting off the bus. Why? I was hit by a bicycle. some minor scratches and bruises. (oh dear my pretty skin!)

I cant see the bicycle coming by the side of the bus (its too low) and dear cyclists... when a bus door opens... guess what! People are about to come out! This fact escaped the rider so as i got off i was blindsided by the bike and tumbled to the floor (hence scratches). Ok accidents happen. I COULD have been more observant or slower or cautious but getting hit as i get off a bus is not one of the main concerns of my day.

But the most frustrating part is that after I fell... the guy just looked at me for a while (no words at all) AND RODE OFF! GASP! hey I'm only SLIGHTLY larger than average I'm not scary looking, why did he do that?... should I have chased him down, tackled him off the bike and demanded an apology? No. Becuase I managed to take control of my anger at that point. The scratches are ok but the RIDING OFF IS NOT!

Now, I understand that different cultures have differnt levels of so called "niceness" - in some countries maybe i get a hug and a kiss on the cheek if i get hit haha? ...but hit and run is way below par! something is seriouly wrong here. If you or I had accidentally hurt somebody what would our response be? I hope this person is not representative of us as a nation, that would be sad. Here is where each of us can make a difference. Each action counts. Just like we train daily if we want maximum physical performance, character also needs training probably even more often.

The natural, untrained physical state = fat and weak.
The natural state of character = selfish and inconsiderate.
Both need work:)