There is a gentleman in the row behind me that needs crutches to get around. I am not sure exactly what his ailment is, but he needed to the lav and so he pushed the "call" button for a flight attendant to get his crutches. When he had come back I had decided to get up and take a walk up, and down, the plane to stretch my legs a bit. I happened to get out in the isle, from my wonderful middle seat, just as he settled back into his seat and he had just pressed the call button. I reached out and offered to return his crutches for him since I was up. No big deal, not a lot of effort involved, something that I firmly believe should be second nature to all.
The reaction from the crowd was simply amazing, or as I said before, confusing, or maybe even troubling. The looks I got from people was as if I had just tried to steal this guys candy, or like I was weird for "getting involved." It is like being in the city when someone nearby is being harassed, or being in a public place when a parent is obviously mistreating their child. No one wants to get involved. No one wants to help their fellow "man," or woman. People think that being aware of your surroundings, noticing what is going on, and trying to help out is rude, or intrusive!! Horseshit!!
My mother lost a friend this year because she was simply concerned for her, and what this woman's husband was going through. She offered her help and it turns out that these people found this to be "intrusive," their word not mine. We, my siblings, my cousins and I grew up in an environment, on "the street," where everyone was always there for everyone else, or so is my recollection. If someone needed something you were there for them, whether it was something big or something small. No one ever really had to ask, and they definitely never had to ask twice. I don't know why it is that people just do not seem to be that way anymore.
It is funny because our world has changed so much today with Twitter and Facebook. People on the other side of the world are considered "friends," and everyone knows every little thing that is going on in everyone else's lives, and somehow that is OK, but put those people in front of one another and it is different. A few weeks ago someone I know in town posted that their son had been in a horrible accident and was in the hospital in the ICU. The reaction on Facebook was significant and very nice, but odd at the same time. First, if you "like" something on Facebook what does that really mean. Someone posts that their son is in the ICU and a bunch of people "like" that post. I don't think they mean that they like that he is in the ICU, but I really don't know what that means, and a bunch of folks posted "wishing you well let us know if we can do anything." What does that mean when half of those types of posts were from people not in the same state let alone in the same town.
In Vermont, and on "the street," people used to wave, say hello, Christ in some cases people would actually see someone going to their car from their living room window and poke their head outside and scream across the street, "good morning Aunt Dolly," or "good morning Rock." Please, thank you, excuse me, god forbid eye contact, were all good things!! Where has that gone, and why is it weird to do something nice, and why do the flight attendants get so over the top to say thank you to someone for simply offering to put a guys crutches away, or help someone with their bag?
I guess I am just weird.
Thank you again for getting this far with me.
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