The Very Sad Man

I saw something both shocking and wonderful this morning, and I haven’t been able to get it off my mind.  It’s made me think about the way we choose to react to situations, the way we judge people, and about compassion. It got me thinking about my own condition and being incorrectly judged by people thinking I maybe a bit ‘slow’ or had a few too many wines when in fact my Parkinson’s medication has worn off and I revert to the person I would be without it – slurred speech, slightly unsteady on my feet, and very slow! You can understand their judgement……. but these days it’s usually wrong. And I’m not the only one this happens to.

This morning, early – just before 6am, I heard a cry.  It was a moan really, a moan of deep, deep sadness.  I thought – oh my gosh, someone in the apartment has woken to bad news!  I have never heard anyone sound so utterly desolate.  I wasn’t sure where it was coming from.  Looking out the window I saw a few people walking by acting like nothing was odd.  I walked down our hallway to the front door – but could hear nothing from any of our neighbors.  Not for a few minutes more when I thought I heard it again.  I was worried but outside the few people walking the street didn’t look alarmed – maybe I was imagining the whole thing.  It was probably a very sick truck trying to get started!

Then I saw the poor man walking on the other side of the road.  Looking like every step was a struggle, looking like he couldn’t go any further he slumped to the ground and leaned against a tree.  He had something in his hand and I saw him time and time again hesitantly bring it up to his arm – I wasn’t sure what it was.  Why was he so hesitant about it?  HG was in the shower – I dashed in to tell him I was worried and by the time he got out of the shower my ‘faith in there still being some wonderfully caring people in the world’ had arrived.   Just a young fella in jeans and a hoodie, backpack on his back, he took the knife out of the man’s hand.  He talked to him, patted him on the shoulder a few times, waited until a medic arrived and then carried on his way.

The medic dressed his arm and four police cars arrived and took the very sad man away in handcuffs.

Obviously I have no idea what lead to the very sad man’s actions this morning. But it may have ended quite different for him if my ‘restored faith’ man hadn’t the kindness in his heart to help or the ability not to judge – not to mention the braveness to approach a man with a knife too I guess.