As any younger brother will tell you, having a big brother involves a lot of walking in someone else's shadow, especially when you have a brother who is a typical example of "cool". For years I wanted to do everything my elder brother Tyson did, but no matter how hard I tried, I was always the neglected (被忽略的) one. My legs just weren't made to run like his. I could never play football or basketball well.

    I probably would have continued trying to keep up with him for the rest of my high school career, but when my family moved, everything changed. Tyson left for college, so I had to start at a new school all by myself. This new start gave me an opportunity to redefine myself and discover an entirely new version of "cool".

    I don't know what made me decide to try some new activities at the new school, but one day I chanced to show up for an after-school meeting of the Science Olympiad team. I had always been fascinated with chemistry, biology, and math, but since those interests hadn't fit Tyson's definition of "cool", I had never pursued them. On this day, for some reason, I did.

    As we organized teams, prepared resources and practiced answering questions, I felt more connected than I ever had to any sports team. I didn't feel as though I needed to keep up with anybody else; I was finally with peers who understood me. It was so good to feel accepted for what I'm good at. For the first time in my life, I actually felt cool. Now I know who I am! I'm Tyson's little brother, but that's only part of my identity. I'm a cool guy in my own way, too. I'm relieved to know that "cool" has a much broader definition than what I used to think.

    Mothers and fathers all over the world teach their children manners. Other children may have manners that are not like yours. There are all kinds of manners.

    Many years ago, children who had good manners were seen and not heard. They kept quite quiet if grown-ups were talking. Today, well-mannered children have more freedom.

    Sometimes good manners in one place are bad manners in other places.

    Suppose you are a visitor in the land of Mongolia. Some friends ask you to eat with them. What kind of manners do they want you to have? They want you to give a loud "burp" after you finish eating. Burping would show that you liked your food.

    In some countries, if you give a loud burp, y“ou are told to say Excuse me, please." In many places, people like to eat together But in some parts of Polynesia, it is bad manners to be seen eating at all. People show good manners by turning their backs on others while they eat.

    What are manners like in an East African town? The people try not to see you. They are being polite. You may see a friend. He may not see you at all. If you are polite, you will sit down beside him. You will wait until he finishes what he is doing. Then he will talk to you.

    Suppose you visit a friend in Arabia. You should walk behind the other tents until you come to his tent. If you pass in front of the other tents, you'll be asked into each one. The people will ask you to eat with them. And it is bad manners if you say no.

    Manners are different all over the world. But it is good to know that all manners begin in the same way. People needed ways to show that they wanted to be friends.

    David Carter stands outside of the University of Texas' Austin campus every day, offering the same warm greeting to students who pass by. "Hello, my friend!"

    Carter, now 68, is a beggar who once attended the school from 1972 to L975. Then, he was involved in a crash and got serious injuries. He then had trouble with substance abuse and faced mental health challenges, leading him to drop out before completing his degree.

    "If I could change one thing about my past life, I would have stayed in school," Carter says. He says he knows an education can change someone's quality of life.

    Carter had to beg in the last few years fora simple reason. "I'm always flat broke," he said. While most people would walk right by a beggar, Ryan Chandler, a junior at the university, decided to stop and chat with Carter-and he learned a valuable lesson: You can't judge a book by its cover.

    "A lot of UT students see them as criminal vagrants (无业游民,乞丐) or think that they are dangerous or unfriendly, and that idea just isn't true," says Chandler.

    Chandler got to know Carter and saw his potential. "He completed 87 hours of course credits, which is enough for a degree for most people, but he just never finished," Chandler says.

    The student wrote a blog post about his new friend, and luckily, the right people heard about Carter and stepped in to help. The University of Texas readmitted Carter as a student, and a kind person who used to be a student UT offered to pay for Carter's tuition.

    "I want to be a student and I want to learn," Carter said. Since the course requirements have changed, Carter is far from having the amount of credits needed to graduate. But his friend knows he's willing to take up the challenge. "He is capable, he is ready, and he is dedicated to this," Chandler says.