Normally, I love my city. I believe people care about others and vice versa.
Today was NOT, I repeat NOT one of those days!
I went to Forest Lawn for an event.
On the Number 1 Forest Lawn bus, another passenger was harassing two other passengers on the bus. The driver had said something to the passenger, but I felt the need to protect and stand up for these citizens, and place myself in the middle of the two.
For a while, everything was good. I got together with some friends, and one of them offered me their poncho to get home warm.
And while walking to my 112 bus stop, on the corner of 3rd Street and 6 Avenue. I see this man throw a chair at another man in the street. I yell at them and tell them to knock it off, and remove the chair from in front of a vehicle.
They depart for a brief moment, and this guy with no shirt on, jumps the fellow who threw the chair, and wraps a chord around his neck in the middle of the street.
Who jumps in? Not the 20 men who are standing there watching it.
Me. Skinny, weak, little me.
Jumps into the middle of the street and unwraps the chord from the man's neck while on the phone with Calgary Police Service.
I'm traumatized. I'm concerned. I am now afraid.
Thanks Calgarians. So glad to know you have my back.
Hello Amber,
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you went through all this without any support from other people.
I am relieved you were not hurt or attacked in the process of your courageous defence of fellow human beings.
Having had worked with homeless people, people with addictions, people who were in the sex trade, and many other demographics of humanity, I find that I could be out all day long fighting other peoples battles.
Please know that I think you have a beautiful heart.
Some people are traumatized by their own experiences. Some people freeze up and can't deal with stressful situations and some people have way too much going on in their lives to want more stress added on. Then there are those who worry about repercussions, that they may down the line be attached by a perpetrator.
Then there are some that just don't give a darn about anyone.
Then there are those that take the time to help, like you. Bless your heart.
Quite honestly, for my own mental health,because of work related trauma, I have to quietly walk away from these situations and put in a call to police.
As my mentor reminded me recently, some people don't know any better or don't know any other way to deal with emergencies.
Personally, I can no longer put myself in situations like you did today. Why? Because I've done too much saving and fixing and in the midst of all that, I forgot to take care of me. I am now broken, like the clients I used to treat.
The perspective that I am trying to put forward is that we never know what battles others are fighting.
Again, bless your beautiful soul. I believe you will receive many kind returns in your life. Thank you��
Thank You. And although I understand the many reasons why others do not jump in and help, I also, don't understand why I do. Every time I do this, it leaves me traumatized and more emotionally vulnerable. But, I would be even more so, if I stood by, and watched someone kill another human being. I guess everyone does, what they are capable of in the very moment that it is happening before their eyes.
DeleteI thought long and hard about saying this to you, Amber.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure it was in your best interest to do what you did today.
You expressed that you now feel traumatized.
Consider next time whether your actions may be dangerous to yourself both physically or mentally.
Sometimes, what appears to be a person not responding, is a person who took the time out to assess that stepping into the line of fire may have immediate or future negative consequences.
Please be safe skinny girl ;)
I think, Amber, you are a person who successfully navigates past "bystander effect" which keeps many people frozen when they are unsure what to do in an emergency situation. I hope others who witnessed what you did today realize they, too, have the power to help someone in need and don't always have to let the skinny girl do all the hard work! :)
ReplyDelete