Chivalry

I was waiting for my train at Baltimore Penn Station.
I happened to be sitting in front of the door where passengers exit from their previous travels.
I'm a people watcher, so I stared intensely at the rushing crowd.
A little before midway through, this tall shifty looking negro emerges from the crowd and holds the door open.
I'm thinking, "Hmmm... okay. He must be waiting for his girl or homeboy to come up."
He was standing there for a solid minute; ain't no one come up he was with.
Then, I saw him swiftly catch the other door to the opening.
That's when this blind white lady come up and walked through.
I could tell she was blind cause she had one of them long ass sticks.
Yo, let me tell you, if ol' girl had got hit by that door...
I'm sorry, but my spirit not strong, ya'll.
Ya boy woulda started dyin. I wouldn't even be able to help her.
I woulda felt like I was too far away.
She probably woulda went flyin back like she got hit by that girl from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and shit.
I woulda had to go to the bathroom.
And some of ya'll know ya'll woulda been the same.
But anyway, after that, the shifty lookin negro kept holding the door.
When the crowd died, and all had come up, he left his post.
Alone.
Nigga had just been holdin the door outta the goodness of his heart.

Now that's OD chivalry.

That shit made me think though: where has chivalry gone?
Even those of us who think we are upstanding citizens are not as chivalrist as we should be.
I mean, I hold the door for the next comin person, but I'll close that elevator door swiftly. Haha
Cab drivers used to open the door for you.
Now them mofos just charge you double what it should be.
Niceness is dead in America, at least in the cities.
We've become so cold and defensive.
We are afraid to be taken advantage of in this age of deceit and scandels.
Can we ever return to our former glory, of helping our fellow man?
Community Service seems to be a start, and this generation seems to be embracing it.
I mean, me, myself... I ain't the one.
You gotta wake up too early.
You see my point.
We're selfish too.
I just had my own revelation.
Will I change? Probably not.
But I'mma try and force myself.
It's the least I can do, attempt to progress.
Never know, it could be contagious.
Word.