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The Right Thing

The chance that don't come often.

By Brian GrannanPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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Photo credit to Isabella Mendes

One thing I've learned in my short while on this earth is this: there are depressingly few times where the right thing to do is clear and obvious. And when one of those times presents itself, you need to jump on it.

I personally have had a couple such times. In college, I lived in a student housing campus that was close to a gas station. I could walk over, buy a six pack or some snacks and be back in 20 minutes.

One night I did exactly that, but I was approached by a woman when I was trying to go in. She needed help. I can't remember too many details now, but she needed some gas or some money to get home.

I was young and felt blindsided. I panicked and told her I would run inside real quick and see what I can do. I had no intention of helping her and now I was trapped in an awkward situation. I bought my six pack and snacks and then went out the front door and took an immediate right turn to go around the back on the gas station.

The woman was at the pumps talking to another man. She absolutely saw me and leaned and shuffled over to better see me as I abandoned her.

I still think that about that night 10 years later. Why didn't I just put down a few dollars to help someone. Did it really matter if she needed it or not? Often times, people dismiss others that need help because they are afraid of being scammed or that they don't really need help. She clearly needed the money more than I did if she was soliciting spare change at a gas station at night.

I think about that night when I pass someone panhandling on the side of the road on a hot day. "Does it matter if they really need my spare change? They clearly need it more than I do."

There is one counter memory I have and think about often, of a time I helped another woman that was in a tight spot without being asked and without reward.

A few years after that night, I was living in an apartment complex and had a puppy that needed to go out a lot. Our building was across the street from a public dog park and that is where I saw an elderly woman in a motorized chair on the sidewalk nearby.

She was on her way to the retirement housing further down the block. From the plastic bags hanging on the handles, I guessed she had just left the corner store. As I watched, the chair kept stopping and she would sit for several minutes and then keep going very slowly.

I figured her chair was out of battery or else broken in some way. I took my dog inside and thought, "this is one of those moments."

I thought about bringing my truck over, loading up her chair and giving her a ride home. I decided against it as I could not lift her chair myself and I was not sure if she'd appreciate a ride from a stranger. I walked back over to her, she had not made it far, and offered to push her home.

She was a very quiet woman but seemed as grateful as someone caught in an embarrassing situation can be. The chair was not moving even though it was charged. In fact, it felt as though she was holding the breaks.

I had to position my hands on the underside of the chair and push with my shoulder. And I trudged along like Sisyphus for a full block and around the corner for a workout lasting over 45 minutes. I had never been so tired in my life. I found myself angry at this poor woman for being in this position.

I got her home and inside and before she could say anything I left. I didn't check to see if there was anything else she needed or if she would offer me some money. I just left. I was too tired. The walk home was a struggle. So much so that I couldn't even bask in the glow of helping someone.

There are a few other examples of times I could have helped but didn't and times I didn't have to help but did. But those are the 2 that stand out. I continue to try to look for those moments. Where the right thing to do is clear and obvious. They don't come often.

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