Monday-Monday Upset and Unplugged

Geesh, I hate it when I get on my high horse (as my southern grandmother would’ve said) but damn! It’s been a while since I really got angry at my fellow man. But after my experience with the public the other night, I have to ask:

Where are all the good Samaritans? What’s happened to the kindhearted people, who if they saw a little girl in distress would stop to help? Where were those generous souls who would pause and ask if there was someone they could call? They sure weren’t in Mansfield, Texas the other night.

 Oh. My. Goodness. They’re gone! Poof! Vanished. Perhaps kidnapped by aliens?

 

 

 

 

Maybe I should start at the beginning.

It was grandparent’s day at light of my life’s (okay…my granddaughter’s) school. She was dismissed at noon, and we took her to lunch. She ate very little and confided her stomach was hurting. No fever, just an upset tummy. Maybe she’d had too many treats at school.

As the afternoon progressed, she had an occasional twinge of queasiness, but it passed, so we went shopping. Her mother was picking her up later, so on the way home, I stopped to pick up sandwiches at Subway.

Right there, in the middle of the parking lot, her eyes went wide, she called my name, and promptly threw up. It surprised her as much as it did me. I had nothing in the way of napkins, so as much as I hated to leave her unattended, I ran to the restroom inside Subway for paper towels.

So picture this kid, alone, on her knees, and sick as a dog.

Frantic at leaving her alone for even a second, I ran back toward her. On my way, I count three women and one man. One at a time, each adult, glance down and then walk right past her.

Okay, I admit I was way beyond stunned. Not one person…count them with me…not one, stopped and asked her if they could help.

Now if she’d had an adult standing next to her, I can almost see not offering help. Almost.

Have we gotten too busy? Too selfish? Too caught up in our own little world? Really? Can we not give up a few minutes of our time? A simple how can I help was too much effort?

Help me make some sense of this.

In my heart, I pray that I’ll never lose my humanity enough as to turn away from someone in need. I pray, I’ll ask that simple question. How can I help?

Please, God, let me always remember that kid, head down, tears on her cheeks. Alone.