"We are all one..."
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2000 9:04 pm
Going to the post office on the edge of Chinatown, I saw an old Chinese lady trying to cross the intersection. She stepped off the curb and badly twisted her ankle on the slushy snow. She likely broke it entirely given the weird angle in which the foot was hanging. Fortunately, a Black male right behind the old woman caught her from behind just before she hit the snow. He singularly dragged/carried her back onto the side walk by the time I got/slid across the snow covered street. He held her up while I ran to the nearest newspaper box and appropriated a stack of newspapers for 50 cents. I went back and put the papers down on top of the snow and we sat her down.
Not many folks were around given the pace of the falling snow. Fortunately, a business man (suit, tie and all,) driving by, stopped when he saw us. With his cell phone, he called the ambulance and took off. The Black guy asked me for my name and number and said he had to go. I asked why he needed my info. He said to verify to his supervisor why he's late back from lunch. I gave him the info and thanked him for helping the old lady. He replied, "No need, Man. We're all One..." He took off. I was left kneeling -- huddling -- over the sitting woman with an umbrella against the wind and snow. Took about 15 or 20 minutes for the ambulance to arrive. In the meantime a number of people passed by, looked at us and went on without a question. However, several passerbyers -- a White Woman, a Black Woman, a Chinese guy and a Hispanic guy -- came by and asked whether we needed help. I told them an ambulance had been called and thanked them for their concern.
When the ambulance came, the old Chinese woman asked me for my Chinese surname and thanked me for helping. In the standard Chinese reply I said, "No need... No need." Because, in my mind, I was thinking about what the initial Samaritan, the Black guy, had said before he left, "We are all one..."
david
[This message has been edited by david (edited January 25, 2000).]
Not many folks were around given the pace of the falling snow. Fortunately, a business man (suit, tie and all,) driving by, stopped when he saw us. With his cell phone, he called the ambulance and took off. The Black guy asked me for my name and number and said he had to go. I asked why he needed my info. He said to verify to his supervisor why he's late back from lunch. I gave him the info and thanked him for helping the old lady. He replied, "No need, Man. We're all One..." He took off. I was left kneeling -- huddling -- over the sitting woman with an umbrella against the wind and snow. Took about 15 or 20 minutes for the ambulance to arrive. In the meantime a number of people passed by, looked at us and went on without a question. However, several passerbyers -- a White Woman, a Black Woman, a Chinese guy and a Hispanic guy -- came by and asked whether we needed help. I told them an ambulance had been called and thanked them for their concern.
When the ambulance came, the old Chinese woman asked me for my Chinese surname and thanked me for helping. In the standard Chinese reply I said, "No need... No need." Because, in my mind, I was thinking about what the initial Samaritan, the Black guy, had said before he left, "We are all one..."
david
[This message has been edited by david (edited January 25, 2000).]