This past week I helped someone who doesn’t have a car by giving them a
ride to an early morning appointment. I was parked on a street in the north
end of Hartford (not a good neighborhood) waiting for my passengers.
Down the street a bit I could see that someone had fallen. It looked like
the person was struggling to get up, but I was too far away to tell exactly
what the situation was. I knew there were a lot of reasons this person could be
in distress, but I also knew they might be having a stroke, a seizure, or some
other kind of attack.
My passengers arrived and got in my car; one of the two being a 12-year-old
boy. I was still watching the person trying to get up. The mom asked me if
there was a problem because I wasn’t moving. I said no and pointed to the
person struggling to get up.
Her son said, “Oh, that’s nothin’. He’s just one of those people. He’ll
be fine.”
I asked if he knew who the person was.
“No. He’s just one of those people. Sometimes they sleep on the street.
You don’t have to worry about him.”
I watched a woman walk past the person without even looking. I started
driving and when I was alongside, I stopped. Now I could see that it was an
older man with white hair. By then he had managed to use the fence to pull
himself up, but he was very shaky on his feet. I rolled down the passenger
window. He looked our way and I asked him if he was okay. He nodded his head and
waived his cap at me, and we drove away.
The 12-year-old said, “See… It’s like I said, he’s just one of those
people.”
Without thinking, I said, “That may be true, but I guess I’d rather be
one of those people who stopped to check and make sure he was okay than to be one
of those people who doesn’t even bother to look.”
Believe me, no one was more surprised than I was to hear those words
escape my lips, but I was glad they found their way out. I was really glad the
child in the back seat heard them too because the truth is, you never know who your
good intentions will help. The only thing you can know for sure is that you’ll
never help anyone if you keep your good intentions locked away.
Write your book. You don’t know who’s out there waiting to read your
words. You don’t know whose life, career, or relationship might be ignited or
re-ignited when you share your knowledge and expertise. Please… It’s time to share.
Valerie, I love this post. It was short and with a powerful punch of a message! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you Lucinda. It was a message to me too!
ReplyDeleteGreat post Valerie. My son and I once came upon a man who was sight impaired and having trouble finding the bus stop with his cane. I walked over to him while my son waited in the car to watch. I asked him how I could help and he said to guide him with my voice. I got him to the stop and returned to my car. When my son (about age 14) asked me why I did that I asked him why not? He never forgot that incident and tells me often, now that he's an adult, how that incident always reminds him to help others he sees that may be in need.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Valerie. My son and I once came upon a man who was sight impaired and having trouble finding the bus stop with his cane. I walked over to him while my son waited in the car to watch. I asked him how I could help and he said to guide him with my voice. I got him to the stop and returned to my car. When my son (about age 14) asked me why I did that I asked him why not? He never forgot that incident and tells me often, now that he's an adult, how that incident always reminds him to help others he sees that may be in need.
ReplyDeleteGood article, Valerie.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Valerie. It reminded me that some time in all our lives we are "one of those people." It may have been a teacher, friend or another that took the time to stop when everyone else was driving by that change a life.
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ReplyDeleteThe world would be a much nicer place if we all just went out of our way to help those around us. It could be as simple as a smile or a kind word to a stranger. Thanks Valerie for giving us the chance to get grounded and rethink what is truly important!
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