The Scary Thing

Inspired by events of 17.09.2010.

The scary thing is that you can be on your way to class

enjoying the comfort of your I-pod

only to be jerked back to reality 

by the sight of a man slumped over on the side of the bus route.

The scary thing is that you can see several people standing a few feet away

talking casually.....paying no mind to a scenario that clearly shouts:

SOMETHING IS WRONG!

The scary thing is that ONE anomaly; a young lady, cared enough to go find a security guard.

The scary thing is that you can see this young lady shake the slumped figure

tug his sleeve

call out to him

....to no avail.

The scary thing is that as you try to assess the situation
your maxi starts to pull off

because believe it or not,

all of this took place in less than a minute.

The scary thing is that you first feel rising anger

at the thought of people chatting idly

while someone lays dead or dying

not five feet from where they stand.

The scary thing is

the really scary thing is your anger gives way to understanding

because you live in a country where it's perfectly common

to see someone passed out in the street.

The scary thing is that you know the bystanders probably wrote the man off

as another one of our country's many drunks

who didn't know or didn't care

that their last drink would send them over the edge.

The scary thing is that our children are now so used to seeing homeless people

drunks...vagrants...pipers

that one day, they'll neglect someone who may be in need of help

and dismiss that person as another of society's lost causes.

The scary thing is that I'll probably never know what happened to that man.

The scarier thing...........is that he won't be the last.

ennekaycee

20.09.2010