Minnesota Nice?
This weekend was Twin Cities Pride. It was hot sunny and for those of us not adapted for the heat, miserable. Sunburn and dehydration happened to me. Watched the parade drank some beers, OK, a lot of beers, flirted with lots of very cute guys, spent the whole weekend with the man of my dreams. But this isn’t what I want to rant about today.
After the parade we were walking like 100’s of other people towards the park from the parade route. The group I was with came up on a fragile, ancient lady lying on the curb. She was wearing a red volunteer T-shirt and was struggling to get up out of the road. Two of us immediately went to help her out and find out if she was hurt or needed anything. This woman was probably 85 lbs and 90+ years old. She was the most upbeat yet frail person I have seen in all my years. Even visiting my grandmother and grandfather as they lay dying in the hospital had more strength and substance to them than she did. Nick and I helped this woman up out of the street and over to a stoop where she could wait for her friends to return. We made sure she was in the shade and didn’t need any water or anything. She said she had fallen when her friends went off to use the restroom.
What I found most disturbing about this is the number of people who just walked right by or stood on the side of the road/sidewalk while this woman struggled in the street. I guess Minnesotans really aren’t as nice as we claim to be and I am saddened by this.
As a reward for my helping her she said ‘thank you’ and gave me a big hug. Later as I was leaving the park I saw her again about a block from our first encounter and she was sitting on a park bench talking to a woman and her baby. She still remembered me and thanked me again for helping her out the street. I guess some people still are capable of giving Minnesotan’s the reputation we have earned over the years of being, Minnesota Nice.
After the parade we were walking like 100’s of other people towards the park from the parade route. The group I was with came up on a fragile, ancient lady lying on the curb. She was wearing a red volunteer T-shirt and was struggling to get up out of the road. Two of us immediately went to help her out and find out if she was hurt or needed anything. This woman was probably 85 lbs and 90+ years old. She was the most upbeat yet frail person I have seen in all my years. Even visiting my grandmother and grandfather as they lay dying in the hospital had more strength and substance to them than she did. Nick and I helped this woman up out of the street and over to a stoop where she could wait for her friends to return. We made sure she was in the shade and didn’t need any water or anything. She said she had fallen when her friends went off to use the restroom.
What I found most disturbing about this is the number of people who just walked right by or stood on the side of the road/sidewalk while this woman struggled in the street. I guess Minnesotans really aren’t as nice as we claim to be and I am saddened by this.
As a reward for my helping her she said ‘thank you’ and gave me a big hug. Later as I was leaving the park I saw her again about a block from our first encounter and she was sitting on a park bench talking to a woman and her baby. She still remembered me and thanked me again for helping her out the street. I guess some people still are capable of giving Minnesotan’s the reputation we have earned over the years of being, Minnesota Nice.