Sunny Sunday

As I sit and enjoy a bright and sunny Sunday in Beijing, (it’s 11 degrees and I’m in a t-shirt getting more stares than I usually do in this town,) I'm hit by one word. Dignity, Pretty simple word, “the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect.” Something we all like to keep, and something we think we show others.

So I'm disappointed. I've been sitting at Starbucks and watch a guy who is roughing to put it mildly. Over the last 46 minutes several hundred people have walked by. Some glance down, some look away. Very few have bothered with him at all. The 7 punks that stopped seemed to take youthful pleasure in trying to spook him. All the while one moron is videotaping it. I do hope that these Nike clad yahoos never wind up like this guy, but for one week. Just so they can see what it's like to that guy for a while. Guess I’m getting old and I’m starting to be curmudgeonly.

So that’s my observation for the day. The people of China are no different than the people of North America. Little time for others and many not willing to show a little dignity to someone who is down. I'm no different. I turn a blind eye to it all the time. I guess it just takes watching other to remind me that it doesn't take much effort to show someone a little respect and dignity.

PS, as I’m digging in my pockets for a couple of small bills, three others in the space of about a minute all drop a little bit in to the mans cup. All of them under 30, I guess there is hope after all.