web1_Fridge.jpg

Police searching for man accused of stealing merchandise from Walmart

web1_AAA-Mid-Atlantic.jpg

AAA: Average gas prices hold steady across the board overnight

<p>New York City&#8217;s subway system is a microcosm &#8212; or Petri dish, depending on your view &#8212; of humanity.</p><p>Nowhere was this more evident than as I made my way recently from Queens into Manhattan and observed the following all within the span of 40 minutes:</p><p>&#8226; A stranger (a man) helping a woman carry an ungainly stroller up a steep flight of stairs to a subway station.</p><p>&#8226; Two teenagers (both boys) rushing to grab the few available seats on the subway when there was clearly an older man who was eyeing a seat and certainly could have used one.</p><p>&#8226; A man entering the subway car, struggling with a stroller and awkwardly carrying his daughter, who was maybe a year old. A young woman offered her seat to the guy, who accepted it with a mixture of relief and gratitude.</p><p>Big props to the guy who helped the lady with the stroller and the woman who offered her seat to the guy with his young daughter. And a smack with a hard-cover book of manners for the two dolts who were oblivious to anybody but themselves.</p><p>It reminded me of the old Goofus and Gallant comics that were a feature of &#8220;Highlights&#8221; magazine when I was a kid. Presented with the same set of circumstances, Goofus would choose the path that was either rude or selfish and Gallant would do the thing that was chivalrous or polite.</p><p>What I am seeing increasingly in the world is too many Goofuses and too few Gallants.</p><p>I am not saying I am a perfect gentleman all the time but I think I have some sense of courtesy. Maybe it is the product of 12 years of Catholic education.</p><p>Seared in my memory is an episode from seventh-grade math class with Sister Margaret Marion.</p><p>A bunch of math equations were on the blackboard and myself and another student, Corrine Cortes, at the board to solve them. When we were done, I erased my work and handed Corrine the eraser.</p><p>In a voice that still echoes in my head, Sister Margaret boomed: &#8220;A real gentleman would have erased the board for her.&#8221;</p><p>Duly noted, sister. But being courteous is a practice that is gender-neutral.</p><p>I feel like a fossil saying this, but everyday manners seem to be as antiquated as Internet Explorer or black-and-white TV.</p><p>Gestures, such as holding the door for someone or offering a stranger a hand with their bags, seem like relics that belong in a museum for future generations to marvel at.</p><p>Maybe we are averse to interacting with strangers because the world is an unpredictable place filled with outbursts of violence.</p><p>Maybe we are too absorbed in our damn smartphones to ever look up and see a person in need.</p><p>Or maybe there is an entire generation that is too socially awkward to interact with others because it grew up spending so much time in front of computer screens.</p><p>I am not sure of the underlying causes but I do know that it costs nothing to be courteous but it can invaluable to the recipient.</p><p>So let&#8217;s see if we can all do our part, even just a little bit, to improve how we act toward others.</p><p>Please. And thank you.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_mele-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_mele-1.jpg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Christopher Mele</p><p>Mele&#8217;s Musings</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Christopher Mele is married and dad of two sons and two stepchildren. His childhood in the Bronx defined his friendships, which endure today. A career newsman, writer and editor, the Lords Valley resident is glad to share stories and insights about the challenges that the modern-day middle-aged guy faces. Reach Chris at seaosprey22@gmail.com.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Mele’s Musings: Yeah, the kids are all right