Reconciliation

When i was at work a few weeks ago, there wasn't really much to do so i took a cardboard box and went around the production line picking up rubbish, being silly as i went along. A couple of Aboriginal guys were opening boxes and i said to one young man who'd just ripped some sellotape off a box, "I'll take your rubbish thanks, Sir." and at that moment, time slowed down and we just looked at each other.
In a country where reconciliation between native and white Australia is considerably slow on both sides, a white woman calling a young dark man "Sir" seemed surprisingly touching to this man and the fact that it touched him, in turn touched me. But it was sad that it surprised him too.
I just smiled at him and went along my way.
I'm glad that happened, it was a really nice moment between two strangers :o)