As I was walking to work today, listening to my mp3, i heard something... but didn't think twice. I kept walking, and looking up, realized that the "something" I heard - was a jeep rollover at an intersection by my house. Shock enveloped me - this is something you see in movies, not in real life. Random people drove onto the nearby grass to get out of traffic's way - not to gawk, but to pull the lady in the passenger side out of the car on its back. Her husband, who was driving, was half way out of the window - but was stuck there. I called 911. They asked if I needed an ambulance, police, or a firetruck. I meant to say "all of the above" but said "both" instead. She said it was called in already and someone was on their way. And sure enough - sirens came blaring towards me. I ran for my bus, not wanting to be late for work.
My thoughts during the whole series of events?
-one time my grade six teacher said that we - students, and everyone, are being so detached from life, not talking to each other because we listen to our music and shut the world out - from this event, I have to agree.
-the empathy that people felt as they rushed towards the car scene to help (not caring that the car may be leaking) - was heartwarming
-the moment when that empathy was happening, I was thankful no media or police were around - it was the peace before the chaos (even when the scene itself was chaotic). The people in the car crash scene even seemed calm - although, it was probably shock.
Then as I rode my bus to work, I thought: why rush? Why did I rush to go to work and not help. I'm not sure if I could've done anything but stare but talking to my mom today - she said that the car roll over might have been from them rushing. I didn't think so since there was frost on the roads this morning. But combining the "why rush?" thought with what I learned this weekend - about how Brazilians are always late because out of respect, when they meet people they know on the way to a meeting, they stop to talk to them. - Combining all this together made me realize: stopping to interact with people weather by not rushing or not always listening to my mp3, goes a long way, because as Don Cheadle said: the one thing that separates us from other species, or connects us as a species - is our ability to empathize.
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1 comment:
whoa, that must have been a scary thing to see! good to know everyone was alright.
it's strange and sad how shocking events like that are what it takes to make us stop and be aware of the environment around us and appreciate what we have. i think about that, too, sometimes on the subway or streetcar here in toronto, in my own world with my ipod how disconnected and lonely we all must be - rather retreating to our own worlds with music between our ears rather than engage with the real life people who are sitting next to us.
humans. strange creatures, eh.
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