The Girl Who Picked Up A Paper Bag

I was in this mall the other day, reading my book, watching people- a typical relaxing day. It was quite busy in the mall and interesting things tend to happen when lots of people all walks around the mall in autopilot mode, using only their instincts to avoid oncoming obstacles.

There was this family that walked passed where I was sitting. The father was carrying a small child on his shoulders and the mother was pushing the pram. A little girl was trailing behind clearly excited to see the colourful shop displays. 

The wind casually blew a waste paper bag across the floor to the front of the little girl, as if posing a question to the girl. The girl looked at it and hesitated as she considers what she should do next. After a short few seconds, she decided to follow what she probably had learned at school or at home, the fact that you should pick up rubbish and keep tidy. Holding up the bag, she called towards her parents who turned to see what was delaying her. The look of disapproval on her father's face surprised the little girl, it also surprised me. The father made some brisk gestures and instructed the girl to get rid of the rubbish that she was holding. First he pointed towards a small kiosk towards her right, the kiosk turned and told her she can't leave the bag there as there are no bins at the kiosk. The father then points towards the shop on her left. The girl quickly ran towards the shop and gingerly left the paper bag in front of the shop, then ran towards her parents, who had already turned and kept walking away.

That was rather sad to see.

From that day onwards in her life, the girl will probably never pick up rubbish in the mall again. Instead of encouraging her when she had done a generous good deed, the father actually taught her how to give problems to others and let them deal with it. It would have been so easy to show her to put it in the bin and encourage her good nature. I wonder if the father will ever realise how he had changed her daughter that day.