losing faith in humanity one person at a time.
I don’t know why I allow people to continue to disappoint me. I have a bumper sticker on my car that reads: losing faith in humanity one person at a time. And yet with each fresh disappointment, I’m saddened further. Four weeks ago, my sister fell on the pavement while out walking. She lay there as 4, yes four, cars drove past her before she could get up. What is wrong with people? What has happened to us? It seems as though the more we progress, the more we insulate ourselves. What on earth are we afraid of? Cooties, for christ sake? Yesterday I saw my doctor for my shoulder. He released me. Said I had made great progress, and I didn’t need to come back unless I had any problems. And my physical therapy is over. Yay!! Anyway, afterwards, I took my sister (with her broken foot) to the local Burger King to get her a burger and fries. As we were leaving there was a man on the highway with his car door open, trying to steer and push his car at the same time. And cars were wizzing past him at the speed of “who gives a shit”. I threw my car in park, got out and ask if he needed a hand. He looked liked I had offered him a $1000. I got behind his car, laughed and said “now, we are in neutral right?” he laughed and said “oh, is that’s the problem”.
And so the two of us began pushing his car down the highway. Not far. Within minutes a scoop truck drove by and actually stopped to offer to tow his car. I waited with the fella while his car was getting scooped and another woman pulled up behind my car in the burger king lot, got out, and walked up to me. She asked me if it was my car that was broke down. I said no, I was just helping out a fellow traveler. And she said to me “well, you shouldn’t just be pushing cars you know, you should take care of your back”. I just stared at this woman. I was flabbergasted. I had so many retorts trying to jump out of my mouth, that none of them actually made it.
I wanted to say:
1) my back? My back? What about my shoulder that is just 7 weeks out of surgery.
2) well, perhaps if more people would stop to help others, maybe me and my back wouldn’t be here pushing his car.
3) you took the time to climb out of your car to rebuke me, so why didn’t you carry your nary little ass down there and help, which would have lessened the load for everybody‘s back.
4) have you ever been broke down on the side of a highway and said to someone who stopped to offer help “oh no, that’s okay, I’d hate for you to injure your back. I’ll just push it myself. But thanks anyway”.
Instead, I stared at her for a moment, then said “thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”
What’s wrong with us? We have cell phones, blackberries, internet, regular phones, instant messaging. And for all our ways to reach out and touch someone, we’ve isolated ourselves more and more. We’re all just tucked safe and sound in our own little worlds where no one can bother us. Unless, of course, it’s us that needs help. Then we’re up shit’s creek without a ……..paddle.