09-23-2016, 07:42 PM
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping."
Fred Rogers
Last Sunday I attended a Cleveland Browns football game with my youngest son. We had fun, cheered for the team, and were sad when they predictably lost. And after the game we were in the throng streaming out of the stadium. And came across a young woman lying on the sidewalk having a full-blown grand mal epileptic seizure. And her parents calmly holding her, protecting her head and limbs. So I knelt down next to Mom, said "My brother is an epileptic", and put my hat and hands under the girl's head so she didn't bash her head against the concrete. The old reflexes came back to me fast- I knew what to to.. protect her from injuring herself, stay calm. At least 10 people sidled up, said "I called 911 !" and rushed away.
And after a few minutes her seizure stopped, and she began to come awake. I helped her parents lift her up to a seated position, handed over a bottle of water. And with a smile and an nod I knew I was no longer needed, so I wished them well and left. My son was standing by, looking at me with a certain amount of uncertainty. But he knows.
I'm a helper. I was raised to be a helper. I was trained to be a helper by my grandparents, my parents, by Scouts, by my Church, by my schools. If I see someone in need, I help. I'll always be that way. I don't do it for any sort of recognition. I don't do it for a job. I just... help.
I wish everyone was a helper. Because things would be a lot less scary if they were.
Fred Rogers
Last Sunday I attended a Cleveland Browns football game with my youngest son. We had fun, cheered for the team, and were sad when they predictably lost. And after the game we were in the throng streaming out of the stadium. And came across a young woman lying on the sidewalk having a full-blown grand mal epileptic seizure. And her parents calmly holding her, protecting her head and limbs. So I knelt down next to Mom, said "My brother is an epileptic", and put my hat and hands under the girl's head so she didn't bash her head against the concrete. The old reflexes came back to me fast- I knew what to to.. protect her from injuring herself, stay calm. At least 10 people sidled up, said "I called 911 !" and rushed away.
And after a few minutes her seizure stopped, and she began to come awake. I helped her parents lift her up to a seated position, handed over a bottle of water. And with a smile and an nod I knew I was no longer needed, so I wished them well and left. My son was standing by, looking at me with a certain amount of uncertainty. But he knows.
I'm a helper. I was raised to be a helper. I was trained to be a helper by my grandparents, my parents, by Scouts, by my Church, by my schools. If I see someone in need, I help. I'll always be that way. I don't do it for any sort of recognition. I don't do it for a job. I just... help.
I wish everyone was a helper. Because things would be a lot less scary if they were.