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My mother grew up in a small coal mining town in southwest Iowa.My grandfather once told me that she knew no stranger and considered everyone in that community her friend.That attitude continued wherever she lived for the rest of her life.
As a young girl, I felt embarrassed and cringed(畏缩) every time my mother addressed strangers in the grocery store or on the city bus.She talked to everyone and offered a smile.
What really sold me on Mom’s approach to life was her experience on the senior bus, a story I’ve repeated to others many times.The weeks I could not be there, she used this lowcost transportation to the grocery store.After her first trip, I asked her how it went.
“Ha！”she said, “I got on that bus and what did I see？Thirteen little old ladies and one old man, and not one word was spoken.”
I wondered how long it would be until the somberness(忧郁的氛围) on that bus would change.On my next visit, Mom mentioned the ladies on the bus and something one of them had told her.
