Daphne and the Age of Chivalry
The train from Leeds to Manchester, which left at six twenty-five this morning ( SIX TWENTY-FIVE! yes, I'm just mentioning it in a martyred kind of way in case you missed it when I mentioned it recently) was blissfully empty of people. There were a few - - but not many, so it was a peaceful start to the day.
Not so the train coming back.
It was packed. There were people standing all down the corridors as well as in the areas at the end of the carriages.
I'd had a very long day, which started when I got up at ten to five (yes, bring out those violins again). I must say that I really enjoyed the work but I'd had a very busy day yesterday, playing a stroke patient, and then the day before, playing a different stroke patient - - - so when it looked like I might have to stand on the train all the way from Manchester to Leeds, I wasn't happy.
Then the young man in the seat next to where I was standing got to his feet. "Please, have my seat."
I wasn't going to politely decline, oh no!
"Thank you very much."
"You're very welcome."
Wow! And there I was, thinking that the Age of Chivalry was truly dead, and suddenly it was brought back to life.
Then I started thinking. Firstly, I thought, it wasn't that long ago that it was me standing up for other people on crowded trains! And secondly - - well, I looked at the reflection of myself in the window and I looked about a hundred and thirty three and a bit peaky with it.
So perhaps Young Man stood up in self-defence. He might just have thought that I was about to collapse and land on him. Perhaps the jury's still out on the Age of Chivalry. But I was very glad to have a seat, all the same.
I'll be going to bed early in the hope of losing a few decades overnight.
Not so the train coming back.
It was packed. There were people standing all down the corridors as well as in the areas at the end of the carriages.
I'd had a very long day, which started when I got up at ten to five (yes, bring out those violins again). I must say that I really enjoyed the work but I'd had a very busy day yesterday, playing a stroke patient, and then the day before, playing a different stroke patient - - - so when it looked like I might have to stand on the train all the way from Manchester to Leeds, I wasn't happy.
Then the young man in the seat next to where I was standing got to his feet. "Please, have my seat."
I wasn't going to politely decline, oh no!
"Thank you very much."
"You're very welcome."
Wow! And there I was, thinking that the Age of Chivalry was truly dead, and suddenly it was brought back to life.
Then I started thinking. Firstly, I thought, it wasn't that long ago that it was me standing up for other people on crowded trains! And secondly - - well, I looked at the reflection of myself in the window and I looked about a hundred and thirty three and a bit peaky with it.
So perhaps Young Man stood up in self-defence. He might just have thought that I was about to collapse and land on him. Perhaps the jury's still out on the Age of Chivalry. But I was very glad to have a seat, all the same.
I'll be going to bed early in the hope of losing a few decades overnight.
posted by Daphne at 9:19 pm
2 Comments:
If you carried on being a simulated patient on your train trips home, you'd never have to stand !
Actually considering all the ailments that you DO simulate, you should be airlifted home.
I came back to England a couple of years ago and every time I rode on the underground I was offered a seat—often by people in the teen to twenty age group. OK, I was in my late sixties, but I was in good shape.I was very impressed after all I had been reading about manners.
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