Carman's Meusletter No.25 (Winter 2011)

I recently signed up for the www.carmansfinefoods.com.au newsletter after contacting the company with a problem I experienced in obtaining some of their fine foods (their Rounds are truly delish and, while I don't see them in Woollies, are worth the trek to another supermarket [Coles] to buy).


In response to their Muesletter No.24 I retweeted Carolyn's note. This is her note from this month

If I had to select the one characteristic that sets great business leaders apart these days, I would sum it up as courage. Courage to make the tough calls, to take the first step into unchartered territory, to lead and not follow. However I have a firm belief that we all need more moral courage in our personal lives as well. Courage to let a friend know when you feel that they have let you down, to admit that you were wrong and to apologise, to let go of people when you realise that they are simply not good for you, to speak up about an unacceptable racist joke or to stand up for the person who isn’t there to defend themselves. Expressing it with kindness, grace and compassion is the key.  It is one of my dreams to live a life without any regrets.  I hope I have the courage in my daily life to tackle these challenges when they come my way and wish the same for you too.

Carolyn Creswell - Company Founder

I posted this note because I had a "courage" episode of my own since my last blog. You might remember my whingeing on Twitter about school-kids on trains. That whinge extended to eMails to the offending schools, to which I only got two replies. And the situation hasn't really changed. But this time I spoke up. 

Two girls from a school which will remain unnamed [1] were on the train this particular morning. While they were standing in the vestibule area in a relatively empty service, they took the seats in front of me when they became vacant. Which I didn't mind until the service started filling up again. When we left Granville station, there were people standing in the aisles, and these two remained seated. I'd had enough

"Isn't it about time you two stood up?"

"Sorry?"

I said it again. They left. Two of the paying passengers got a seat. 

"I've always wanted to do that," I said as they sat down, but I'm pretty sure they had no idea what I was talking about. I didn't feel that good about what I'd done, but then I'd been pretty ticked about seeing kids seated while I was standing. I had also been pretty ticked when I saw a South-Asian "gent" take a seat while a pregnant ex-pat stood. OK I remained seated as well,[2] but when I did get up, I made sure she got the empty seat. 

#justsaying

[1] I would be naming them if they had not done anything. 

[2] When I get a seat, I keep it. Osteoarthritis qualifies me as being partially disabled, plus the other stuff going on or which has been going on recently. My $0.02 worth