We are considered cultured if we have a civil mind (Ysing Yun)

Photo by Pavol Tančibok on Unsplash

After I was absent for a few days a colleague thanked me for the little things I do around the place. Things like unpacking the dishwasher first thing in the morning, putting water in the coffee machine, emptying the staffroom rubbish bin, locking up the school, putting the dishwasher on at the end of the day - all those little things.

The appreciation was welcome but surprised me a little because I don't normally think about these little job things - they are all just things that need to be done and as I'm always first to school and mostly last to leave, it would feel weird not to do them. 

Who would do them if I didn't? Why would I leave them for someone else to do?

I'm not alone either. Luckily I work in a campus with people who have a high degree of social responsibility.

How do I know? Plates, dishes and cutlery are mostly put into the dishwasher after use and not just put into the sink. That's a good barometer. 

It all comes down to civil consciousness in the end.