A Life's Pursuit: Hats OFF!!!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Hats OFF!!!



wheelchair




The fantastic air temperature and the warm brilliance of the sunlit day make some dream of hiking in the deep woods littered with hills and valleys. I can imagine sitting on my deck watching the sun rise envelope the cool morning with its warm yellow tints. I love to watch the sunlight play with the dew drops, the way the colors swirl and change as the light dances around and through the transparent breasts of moisture hanging from the leaves. It's really nice when a slight breeze from some invisible giant walks across the the long grass, arching it in fields of waves, first one foot then the other.

Its Wednesday and I am hard at it with my trusty Macintosh blazing through a QuarkXpress document with Photoshop chuckling in the background. Today's blog I will dedicate to an act of kindness I was witness to from my perch above the city. I arrived early this morning and as custom, I stand in th shadow of the Batman building watching the city below; what fascinating ants they be. I watched a man in a wheelchair painstakingly try to climb a long hill. I watched the string of cars that passed him, glanced at him, glanced away from him and some that just ignored him. Chances are that he had navigated this hill many times before; but he would not have to today. My coworker exits his vehicle. I was curious to see what would happen. I could tell from the furrow in his brow what I anticipated he would do; now I would see first hand. I watched the thoughts zing back and forth through his mind, trying to rationalize his decision to or not to help. I knew when I saw him place his bag on the ground that he indeed would attempt to assist. I watched him gingerly stroll up behind the struggling wheel-chair bound man fighting the downhill gravity. I could tell that some greeting was given and an offer of assistance. Clearly the man was thankful and very obliged. I also noticed the line of cars filled with people who were watching just as I was considering whether to or not to assist. Its funny how we react to some things. Some were proud of the simple human kindness; but others were frustrated. I dont know if it was from the guilt of not doing it themselves or the need that it needed to be done by someone or even worse; the disgust that they were forced to even notice what they would have casually blotted from their attention.

In some conversations with the homeless, they speak of the invisibility they experience. Continued probing revealed a-not-unpredictable human experience from a homeless perspective; but more accurately, a human perspective. We ALL want to be noticed, to be cared about, to not be forgotten, to matter. We spend all our lives attempting to achieve any and all of these pretending that none of them matter to us. Its like the kid with the mohawk that acts offended when people look at him funny at the funeral. We see so many things that we feel powerless to effect that we would rather look away or pretend it doesnt exist. Thats how strongly we need all of those things we dont need. We would like to believe that what we have is because of what we do or deserve or how good, special or talented we are; but the truth is far less aloof. In fact, any of us could have just as easily been born in another country as quick as being homeless or handicapped etc. Sure some circumstances bring on some of these conditions; but they could have been your conditions.
hats off

Anyway, hats of, pensive one, for a deed well done on this sunny anything-better-to-do day that you could so easily have decided to "let somebody else help day." It is the mark of a man that his actions unnoticed are still noble.

2 comments:

Bendy said...

no good deed goes unnoticed.... very cool that you got to witness the entire picture which you painted very clearly with your words.

next time you run across a homeless one, ask them "what's your story?" it's a great opening caring line and you'll be surprised what unravels. kindness and compassion is appreciated by all walks of life...some more than others :)

Andrew Stanfield said...

It's like visiting someone at the hospital, a little bit of kindness touches everyone.