So many avenues and so many choices. Life has a funny way of showing us which road to choose. Many say its not the easiest. In a way, that’s wrong. I find when I am doing what I am suppose to be doing; living the life I am suppose to be living, life is, in fact, easy. Everything falls into place, lights turn green in long strips of open road, people open doors, opportunities arise like coy fish in a pond.
Two avenues seem to open in tandem. The first one, fired by my hardwiring. I am meant to help people. I know that. I do. When I can.
An experience that happened today. I was shopping for costume stuff (what else?) and had to hit the head. While in the men’s room, a kid, a gang banger, came busting in. I glanced over, sized him up. He was jumpy, nervous, calculating. I watched him but smiled. Always be polite. I washed my hands and walked out of the men's room. Slight shock! Eight guys were standing in the hall, waiting for … guess who. I chuckled. To catch a thief. I was there with my wife. Eight guys seems enough to take down one gansta', so we walked out the front door.
Suddenly, there was yelling. A huge ruckus and commotion erupted behind us. I turned. The little thief was getting away! He eluded all eight guys and had a healthy lead! Running full bore, he bumped past my wife. Instinct made me grab him and ... throw him against a cement planter box. Ouch! Need to watch my aim. Stunned, he tried to rise. The eight guys dogpiled him and were telling him to stay down … relax … they were putting the cuffs on. Someone shook my hand. I gave him a passing, "Your welcome," as I scanned the parking lot. Sure enough, the thief yelled for a buddy to come save him. I thought I better stick around and see what his friend looked like. Or better yet be ready for a drive by. The kid must have been hopped up as the eight (yes, eight) guys were having trouble cuffing him. Telling my wife to stay back, I applied a nasty (and system jarring) ankle lock on our screaming, struggled thief. They got cuffs on him. They gave me a gift certificate for my help. Funny. I didn't quite know whether to say no thanks or what. I think people have a need to show their gratitiude.
At the end of that event, one thing occurred to me. Helping secure the thief seemed perfectly natural. I wish I was around to help more situations like that.
So I am meant to help people. But I’m not that special. We all are. Its just a matter of waking up and realizing that. Its like digging a well. It has to be primed. People are like that. There is so much heroism in each one of us. It just needs to be primed.
