On The Way Home

I live in a city with an embarrassment of advantages. It’s a white-collar city, roughly twice the size of Seattle. It has access to the world, and wants for very little. Calgary possesses remarkable clout and wealth. As far as cities go, generally it’s a good place to hang one’s hat; life here is mostly great.

But sometimes it sucks.

Last night I saw a homeless woman take a header off the sidewalk as people mindlessly and heartlessly drove past her. She was really in a bad way. I counted six cars of people that scooted along. I know they saw her; the scene was impossible to miss.

I was mortified by the complete lack of response. I believe we have a responsibility to be good citizens. I wish I had seen some last night.

I pulled off into the adjacent parking lot, and called for paramedics. I waited with her and held her hand. I made sure people were in place to help her. I’m beyond shocked no one made an attempt. The moment filled me with anger. How can people be so callous?

Regardless of circumstance, this is a human being in crisis. Where did human decency go? What fucked up shit inside of you makes it okay to let someone suffer? What would you hope for if you were faced with a similar situation? Did your inaction keep you up last night? I fucking hope it did.

From childhood, I was taught the measure of a person was not about stuff or our appearance. It was the impact we left on those around us. Who we are, and how we act are the most important traits we have. They are truly the only things we own.

A paltry ten minutes of time was all it took to get her in the right hands. It takes more time to pump gas. How did we get to a point where we detached ourselves from human decency? It takes very little effort to provide a moment of dignity to those who need it.

The curious thing about being advantaged, as near as I can tell, is that it creates an inevitable sense of entitlement. The funny thing about that is, it makes people shitty. Entitlement has a way of stifling empathy and compassion. It’s the magnet that emboldens douchebaggery. Entitlement’s offspring is the herald of the nimby mentality that permeates western culture.

I’m not saying you should be Batman. I’m saying it’s okay to reach out and help. It’s good for the soul. It’s even better for society. You don’t even have to reach that far.