cowards

I haven't felt much like writing lately. I really don't feel like writing now, but I'm going to. I'll just keep on until they make me stop, I guess.

I had an unusual experience a few weeks ago. I was in my car leaving Walmart with my 2 youngest granddaughters in the back seat. I looked up the street and saw something that seemed so out of place I couldn't process it for a moment. It was a walker, tipped over in the street. I was puzzling about that when I noticed the woman. She apparently had fallen on the sidewalk while trying to catch her walker as it rolled down the hill. I discovered later that she was waiting for a bus when the walker got away from her.

She was sprawled face down on the sidewalk with her feet pointing uphill. She was a large woman and because of her physical problems as well as her awkward position was unable to sit up, let alone stand.

I made a quick left turn uphill instead of the right turn I was planning and stopped my car. I put on my emergency flashers and told the girls that I would be right back, but I wouldn't be far away. I didn't want to upset them. I ran across the street and talked to the woman first to determine if she was ill or injured. I helped her turn over so that at least her face wasn't planted in the sidewalk. I was looking around frantically for help because I knew I wasn't going to be able to get her up alone. She out-weighed me by 80 or more pounds. I saw a car in the same spot I had been moments before when I spotted her. I made eye contact with the driver of the car and waved like crazy to let her know I needed help -I was yelling for help at that moment, as well. The driver looked at me, turned her head and drove away - pretending she didn't see me. She saw me and the position I was in I have no doubt, but chose to drive away rather than get involved.

Moments later another car pulled up behind mine. A young woman yelled out the window "do you need help?" All I could do was say was a grateful "yes!". She jumped out of the car and ran across the street. As she bent over to help me, I recognized her as a young woman I have known for much of her life. She helped me get the woman on her feet and we determined she wasn't hurt other than some scrapes and bruises. Then and only then the young woman looked at me and said "oh my gosh...I didn't even recognize that it was you!"

My point in telling this story is probably a little vague, but I'll try to make it more clear. The young woman who stopped and helped was a hero. She didn't worry about getting involved. She simply saw someone in need and acted on it. I doubt she even had to think about it - it came as natural to her as breathing. She wasn't worried about it messing up her schedule or taking up her valuable time.

The other woman was a coward. She may have been worried about an appointment, or the next stop on her list of errands. Or perhaps she wasn't physically able to help, but she certainly could have taken a moment to go back into the store and get some help.

There will always be cowards. People who don't want to take the time or effort to get involved. Those people will never know what they are missing in life. These types of situations come along in our lives rarely and if we are able to help another human being - even for a moment - it is our duty, honor and privilege to do so. I know that. Chrystal knows that. I wonder if the woman in the other car has any idea of the opportunity she missed to serve.