Last week, I attended an informational session for a program that invited both teens and their parents. I arrived at 8:01 p.m. for an event called for 8 and in true Teaneck fashion, all the chairs were already taken and it was standing-room only for the “latecomers.”
As I and many other parents were standing for over an hour on the perimeter of a packed, small living room of a family that graciously opened their home, I glanced around the room. Not one teen volunteered to offer their seat to a standing adult. Even more surprising — not one adult in the room utilized the opportunity to teach their teen the timeless lesson of respect for elders that when there are limited seats, being a mensch means offering yours to a standing adult.
True, none of us can be described as zaken or seiva. But after a long day of commuting, meetings and family obligations, the last thing a tired parent wants to do is stand for an hour, and a seat offered by a teenager would be appreciated.
We are a wonderful value-based community and with a little bit of awareness we can do better.
