The 30 Foot Dash

I was driving to take my horse of a dog to his veterinarian appointment, so he can get his nails clipped and his anal glands milked, when I noticed an elderly couple standing on the street corner. Now when I say elderly I’m not talking about the Greatest Generation old I’m talking about Civil War old. These two may have been around at Bull Run.

Different Bull Run people.

Anyway, the woman pushed the crosswalk button and the two waited for the crosswalk signal to change. Finally the signal turned to the green walking guy and the woman nudged who I assume was her husband. When she nudged him it was like he was awaken from a nap he was taking while standing on the street corner. His head would bob up and he would automatically start walking toward the curb. By the time he reached the curb edge the signal turned to the blinking red hand and he stopped suddenly.

Like deer they may jump out infront of your car.  Use caution.

Without her expression changing the woman turned and pushed the button for the other direction at the corner and she waited. When the crosswalk light turned to green walker she turned to her husband and nudged him. His head bobbed up again and he turned and shuffled to the other curb’s edge and, again, by the time he arrived at the edge the red hand signal was flashing so he stopped.

The more it went on the more I kept watching and waiting to see what would happen. It was like a train wreck. I couldn’t stop watching. Each time the signal changed I kept cheering for the man to make it and each time he didn’t I would yell to myself in my car, “Keep going! The cars will stop!” and a lot of, “You can do it, you can do it… NOOOOO!!” Vegas would have taken odds on this guy making, that’s how exciting it was.

What a' you lookin' at?  You makin' a bet or what?

I actually sat through a complete cycle of traffic signal changes just so I could watch. This is the point where I realized that I am inherently a horrible person. Instead of getting out of the car and stopping traffic for this poor old man, I just watched. Finally a car came up behind me and I had to drive off. Since I did not see any Boy Scouts in the immediate vicinity when I drove off I have to assume that he never made it across the street and quite possibly shuffled back to the senior living center for dinner at four.

Another fun filled night at the senior center.

How often does a situation come up where we can help another in need and we just drive by? We think to ourselves, “I’m too busy” or “Someone else will help them” to try and rationalize our choice not to help. We need to go out of our way to help those who need it.

On a side note… It was kind of funny though (See… I’m horrible!)