I was reading the http://fatdoctor.org/ blog today, talking about this sense of entitlement that people seem to have. Ok, it's US not UK, but it sounds very familiar. Is society going down the pan?! It's always me me me, isn't it?

I was at the check-out with my boyfriend and our groceries. At the next till was a little elderly lady reaching slowing and determinedly into the bottom of her trolley to get her shopping out on to the conveyer. Boyfriend and I looked at each other and the elderly lady toiling away, and he went over to help. Initially, she was totally baffled, then she realised he was offering to help and accepted. At the other side of the counter, as boyfriend was packing our shopping and her husband was packing hers, she came to talk to me. She said at 91 her back was fine, but her feet were easily tired. She explained that initially when boyfriend had gone to help she hadn't understood what he was doing, she rarely gets offers of help from strangers. How sad is that? Made want to give her a hug.

It reminded me of being on the bus, sitting on a double seat downstairs, no-one next to me yet. Lots of others were in the same position as it wasn't very busy, but no double seats were left. A woman got on with her small child and looked around for somewhere to sit with him. He must have been about 5. So, I got up and moved across to another seat so they could sit beside each other, no big deal, involved me moving about 3 feet. She was so amazed and so grateful, when I had hardly done anything at all. I have to assume that people don't often do these little things for other people. If it costs you nothing, then why not? I don't think my parents did anything special, I am no different than anyone else, but I do these things if I notice or realise (not always the case I admit). Is this a new thing, have we got less friendly or have people always been oblivious and selfish?