Transformation

The columnist Sydney Harris (US) accompanied a friend to a newsstand.

The friend greeted the newsdealer kindly, but in return received a rude and rough treatment.

Picking up the newspaper that was thrown in his direction, Harris's friend smiled kindly and wished the newsdealer a good weekend.

While the two friends started down the street, the columnist could not help but ask ask:

- Is he always that rude?

- Yes, unfortunately he is always that way.

- And you are always thoughtful and kind to him?

- Yes, I am.

- Then why do you continue to be so polite to him when he is so rude to you?

- Because I do not want him to decide how I should act. We must "own ourselves", and should not bow to any wind that blows, or be at the mercy of bad humor, greed, impatience and anger of others. It is not our environment that transforms us... it is us who transform our environments...