I was brought up to be polite. So I do my best to be. I hold doors open for people, I hold elevator doors open, I open my car door for women, I walk on the outer side of the path to protect women from tyre-splashes, I say please and thank you.

And I give up my seat on the subway to old people in general, pregnant women and women with lots of baggage.

Older people appreciate it, because they are more tired than us younger ones, and they like to sit down if possible.

Anyway, I got on the subway (we have a cool and modern subway system here) one busy evening, not too long ago, and didn’t even bother to sit down in one of the few places available because I was only going five stations down the line. The train moved off smoothly, and I was thinking about the lady with whom I was going to eat out with (sushi, I remember it well).

After about thirty seconds, I heard a young man’s voice, very politely, asking someone if they would like to take his seat. “That’s nice” I thought. Then I heard the young man repeat his question,

“Excuse me sir, would you like to sit down?”, and....and.....Euhh, I felt someone tapping me lightly on the arm.

WHAT?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I whirled round and the horrible truth came crashing into my conciousness. It was if I was finally being forced to open that horrible letter that you just KNOW contains your horifically-high car repair bill.

I looked at him, speechless, incredulous, mouth surely hanging open in stupour. Was he really talking to me? Wasn’t he talking to someone else, behind me?

But no. He wasn’t. He stood up and gestured to his seat for me. He was talking to ME.

For a split second I could have killed him!!!!!! I thought – ‘What? ME? You think I’m OLD? ME? Do you need GLASSES you little creep? Is that supposed to be FUNNY?!!!!!!! Do you wanna DIE YOUNG, you little JERK??!!’

But no, he wasn’t being funny. He was just a polite young twenty-something-years-of-age guy offering me his seat.

I managed to blurt out what must have been a slightly irritated “No thank you” and turned away. He looked a little disappointed........

I just didn’t understand what was happening!

I mean, it was ME who always gave up MY seat before. ME, because I’m YOUNGER. And now it was MY turn to be offered a seat. What a revelation it was. Wow, I just didn’t feel older at all, never even considered the fact. I had always felt kind of..if not exactly YOUNG, not OLDER either. I STILL sing rock music, I do NOT wear pyjamas, I STILL run in the street for no reason sometimes, like a child.

It was so strange and depressing to suddenly realise that I was a new me.

I knew things would never be the same again.

Mind-blowing stuff. Why, just a couple of days before I had given up my seat to an older woman who was carrying some big parcel or other....

My turn.....M.Y. T.U.R.N.

The train approached my station. I suddenly thought about the polite young man, and felt bad about my being a little abrubt to him. After all, it wasn’t HIS fault. He was just doing what I had done all my life. He was trying to be polite.

So, as the train drew to a halt, I tapped him lightly on the shoulder. He looked up at me.

“Thank you so much for offering your seat. It was very kind of you” I said.

He smiled back and nodded.

That made me feel so much better......knowing that he felt OK.

After all, we don’t want young people thinking that we older ones are ungrateful, now DO we!!!

Michael C, 54 years old.

(Photo by me – yesterday afternoon)