(no subject)

[mythteller]

Last night, as I was making my way home from work, I noticed a guy that was sprawled on the grass by the sidewalk. He had his leg in a cast, his crutches lay beside him, and his arms were splayed out beside him.

The time it took me to swing the car around and park it across the street, three people passed him on the sidewalk. Each one took a moment to notice him, but they didn't even slow their pace as they continued on their way.

I ran across the street and came up to the guy. "Hey dude... are you okay?" His eyes fluttered open and he looked at me in a slight daze.

"Yeah... I'm okay... I'm just... tired," he gasped.

"Do you want me to call 911?" I asked, reaching for my cellphone, but he waved me away.

"I just got released from the hospital," he wheezed, as he sat up. "But I made my own way home. I... just couldn't... take another step."

I helped him up and offered to take him home, which was only a few blocks away. "You're the first person to help me. I think I was lying there for 15 minutes."

I'm glad I was able the help the guy out (he broke his leg falling onto a metro platform), but why did he have to wait 15 minutes? This wasn't an isolated street; there were plenty of people that had passed both in cars and on the sidewalk. It only took one person to take a moment to help out, so why did it have to be me after 15 minutes of waiting?

Granted, as I was helping him to the car, I because hyper-aware of his every move. I feared that this might have been some kind of trick and the guy might have attacked me in some way. But in the end, it wasn't the case.

Have we become so afraid in this modern world that we don't even have the gumption to pick a guy up off the street?

I suspect part of the reason that the people passed him by was fear, but I'm sure there's also a feeling of "someone else will do it". The problem with this attitude is that, if everyone thinks it, then nothing happens! It only takes one person to take action, but who will take action?

We need to realize that if we don't take action, no one will take action. Take action!

Comments

[toughlovemuse.livejournal.com]

This dovetails nicely in to The Exclamation's LJ for the week:

http://the-exclamation.livejournal.com/

Good on you for helping the guy.

[swestrup]

For most people, its not fear, its emotional protection. Most folks in the city pass dozens of needy people every time they go for a walk or do anything. They don't know how to help, or don't have the resources. If they let themselves care for these people, they would be in constant heartache every time they went out. So, instead, they train themselves to be emotially distant and to avoid caring.

Its not the best solution, of course, but its a very human one.

[silly-imp.livejournal.com]

I'd like to say I can't believe that no one stopped, but alas I can't. It doesn't surprise me at all. We've become detached and suspicious.

The other week, some homeless person started talking to me in the metro. I chatted back to him. We had quite the conversation. He seemed shocked. Everyone else in the metro car seemed horrified.

Alison said;

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you, Hobbes, for being the person of honor that you are. Its things like this that make the world a better place that it would otherwise be.
Thank you.