An elderly Black man sat quietly inside a fictional roadside diner with a single cup of coffee. His faded jacket and worn shoes suggested a modest life, while his tired expression showed that he was having an emotional morning.
A wealthy-looking young businessman entered the diner and noticed his booth.
Although several other tables were available, he approached the elderly man and asked him to move.
“I’m waiting for somebody,” the man quietly explained.
The businessman became impatient and insisted that he wanted that particular booth.
The elderly man pointed toward the empty tables nearby, but the disagreement continued. During the tense exchange, his coffee was knocked sideways and spilled across the table.
The older man stared sadly at the mess.
Then he reached inside his worn jacket.
He removed a folded property document and placed it beside the spilled coffee.
“Read the owner’s name,” he said.
The businessman looked down in surprise.
The elderly man owned the building and had arrived for a meeting concerning the diner’s lease.
Suddenly, the businessman’s attitude changed.
But the elderly owner made the real lesson clear: ownership was irrelevant to whether he deserved courtesy. Respect should have existed before the document ever appeared.