Second attempt at stone painting

Vihaan's second attempt at stone painting. I feel it has come out better than the first one. He likes to use green and blue most of the time. So the main colours are those.

Of Thank you, Sorry and Please

I was returning with Vi from his playschool. I was lazy to walk up to the bus stop where Bus Line 100 comes so I decided to walk to the bus stop that was near by, where Bus Line 1 would stop. Both would take me home.  Only difference being that Line 1 would take half an hour more than  Line 100. I was just crossing the road when I saw the bus coming and I signalled to the bus conductor cum driver that I want to board the bus. He waited till I reached the bus stop and boarded the bus  safely with Lil Vi in tow in the stroller. I thanked him"Merci" He smiled and we went on back to secure a seat. After a few stops a lady with about 4 kids and one of them in a stroller was trying to board the bus and shouted " ouvert la porte monsieur " roughly translated as "open the door mister". (She meant the back door which is easier to use for people with big strollers)The driver after hearing her shout the same for 3-4 times said something in french and from what I understood he said "you can say please" He opened the back door but since he dint hear a please ,a 's' il vous plait' from her, he closed the back door. Hence forcing her to come in through the front door. I don't know what actually happened after that.  I could understand only fragments of the conversation where the driver asked why she can't say please, the lady says she doesn't speak french (but I felt she spoke a lot of french since I couldn't understand it ;)). Finally the discussion got so heated up that the bus driver decided to stop at a bus stop and not resume service until a person from his office comes to resolve the problem. I got to know this from a fellow traveller who spoke both French and English. So there we waited for the person to come. The lady made a huge fuss but would not just say the words please or sorry. Finally she was asked to step out of the bus for the sake of the drivers and fellow passengers till the person who came could pacify her. She called the driver a "racist".
I wondered what it was that made it so difficult for the lady to say please in the first place. And when she realised that the driver was offended, should she had said a sorry? Would it have hurt? In France you say "Thanks" and "Please" to everyone from the lady at the marche to the man at the boulangerie or the person who gives you way or holds open a door for you. And every time you board a bus you say good morning to the driver, and when you unboard you say "thank you" and "bye":) some even go on to say "have a good day ". Lil vi says "Merci, au  revoir" each time he unboards the bus :)
So was the lady in just a bad mood? Was the bus driver in a bad mood? Did he have to insist on a please? Was he a racist? 
I have answers to only few of those questions that came to my mind. One, he was not racist. He expects the same behaviour from all people, French or not. Both of them could have let go a little.  It is actually the lady's choice if she wants to say please. But at the same time, isn't it good manners to say it? Does it harm anyone? Does it hurt anyone's ego? Do you go one step below someone when you tell them a thank you or a please or a sorry? No, no you don't. In fact ,it only makes you a better person to yourself. I feel good when I say 'Thank you'. I say 'Please' when I mean it. I say 'Sorry' when I am sorry. I do it for myself as much as I do it for the person in front of me.
Good manners don't cost you a thing. But it surely gives you a lot of goodwill.  A feeling of goodness. And I like it. I also accept that every one doesn't have to think that way. But it would be great if all of us could. It would really be great.

Stone painting by Vi

Vi is 25 months now. First time stone painting done by Vi. A day of fever brought out the artist in him and a patient amma in me. He chose the colours. I restricted them to 3 per side ;) But the painting is done 100% by him.

A happy thought

After a month of being involved,  having something to do, speaking up, it is now going to be difficult to go back to being silent and non reactive. Being a part of CSAAM (Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Month) has truly breathed in a kind of new life into me. I feel yes there are some things we can do, it's not all dark and shady out there. If there is bad, there is good too. There are people out there who truly care and want to make a difference to the world. And they are not leaders or stars or someone stellar that you can't touch or think about. They are normal human beings like you and me. They are stars in their own right, they are stellar for people like me because of the work they do. Also because of the work they put in. It's not just these group of people, I realise that there are many more people out there who are looking out for others. Wanting to help, reach out to people like you and me. It does make a difference to me that there is a stranger out there who is ready or willing to hear me out. Who would like to help me in case of a problem. It is indeed a happy thought.