Love thy neighbor

This morning on the way to the bus stop I noticed a man lying on the ground at another bus stop. People were standing around him talking. One old man said "You never know, he mighta been a child molester or something" and the others agreed. And no one did anything. And the closer I got and the longer I looked I never saw his chest rise and fall. And did you read the part where I said no one did a thing?

So I went to my bus stop across the street and called 911 and told the operator what was going on and sure and thankfully enough, the ambulance arrived before my bus came. I don't know what happened to the man. I still don't know if he is or was alive or dead. I have a prayer for him though. I hope he is well. I do.

I am sorry for us. For all of us. I am sorry for my brothers and sisters at the bus stop who didn't think to get help for a man lying on the ground, unable to get help for himself. I think that seeing that man this morning triggered a painfully embarrassing memory for me. Years ago when I was like nineteen years old I had the worst cramps known to womanhood, I fucking swear I did, and my body would get so hot and sore and I would throw up so much I would just pass out. Just. Pass. Out.

One day I was at the Department of Motor Vehicles in the San Fernando Valley and I was having major cramps and I got out of the long ass line to go to the bathroom. I started throwing up. I thought I could make it but as I washed my hands I passed out in the bathroom. When I came to I was under the sink and this white woman was fucking washing her hands leaning over my body. I just got up and left. I was so hurt that another human being would just let it be ok that I was there on the floor. And it was the DMV! There were like security guards right outside and everything.

So, yeah, when I didn't know if the guy was ok or not, I called for help. And sadly, that hadn't been done already.