MountainWings A MountainWings Moment
#3045 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
-------------------------------------------------
How Did You Spend Your Valentine's Day?
========================================
As an avid MountainWings reader, I can't tell you how many times
your timing has been so perfect in helping me through whatever
was going on in my life. I mean, it is just amazing! But this
time, you helped me find an answer that I desperately needed.
Last week, my husband, myself, and our two children, ages
7 and 10 decided to go out to Red Lobster for dinner, a special
treat for us.
I had received a gift card for Christmas and we hadn't used it
yet. My husband is a Computer Tech for a large hospital here in
California. It was his weekend to be on call, so we had to stay
around town anyway. We live in Sacramento.
We decided to go to dinner at 5:30 as Red Lobster always has a
long waiting list. My husband got paged around 5:00, had to
make a call and wait for a call back, so we ended up leaving
later than planned, a little after 6:00pm.
We are on our way to the restaurant, it's dark out, and my
husband is telling me all about this new program he just put on
our computer and everything it could do. We are traveling down
a busy street, four lanes, 45mph, and I looked out my window.
I said, "Oh My God! There's a man back there, and a bike, in
the ditch! I know that's what I saw! A man and a bike, on the
side of the road, in the ditch!"
He said, "Ok, we'll turn around and go take a look." We turned
around, went down the road, turned back the way we had traveled,
and sure enough, there was a man, face down, on the side of the
road.
My husband stopped, turned on our emergency flashers, as there
is no place to pull off; he got out and went to the man. I got
on my cell phone and called 911. They said someone had called,
and help was on the way. I told the kids to sit still,
everything would be ok, and I got out to join my husband.
The man was trying to stir, my husband was telling him not to
move around, so I knelt down beside him and talked to him, put
my hand on his shoulder, asked him to try not to move, that help
was on the way, and we would stay with him.
He tried to turn his head to see me, he was facing the ditch,
he moved his arm. I just gently, softly caressed his shoulder
to let him know he wasn't alone, to try and comfort him, and
asked him to please be still, and try not to move.
The sheriff got there, it seemed like 5 to 10 minutes had
passed. Two guys came from across the street, they said they
had found him, taken the bike off the top of him, and gone to
call for help.
I stayed with him until the firemen came, then I moved out of
their way. I could not believe this! Someone had hit a human
being with their car and left them for dead. How could this be?
I asked the Sheriff, "How could someone not know they hit him?"
He said, "I'm sure they did know, and that's why they kept
going, it happens everyday."
The sad truth is, that here in Sacramento, it does happen
everyday. The Sheriff asked us if we saw anything, and we told
him that we didn't, that I had just happened to look out my
window and see him as we were driving by. He took our names and
our phone number incase the CHP wanted to contact us, but
doubted they would since we didn't have any information.
By this time, we could hear the ambulance coming, so we left as
not to be in the way.
This man has been on my mind ever since. The lack of human
compassion is just beyond my comprehension. At first, it
bothered me a bit, the Sheriff, and the firemen, they didn't
seem to care as much as I did. But then I realized very quickly
that they have to step back from these situations, or they
couldn't do what they do everyday.
But I can't get this man out of my mind. Why was my husband
paged, our dinner plans delayed? Why did I look out my window
into the darkness at that very moment and see this man?
Why were we put in that place, at that time?
Why is this stranger so important to me?
As we drove away, all I could think about was this poor guy,
just an average guy, probably doesn't have much money since his
bike was his transportation, in blue jeans, sneakers, a light
jacket, and a comb sticking out of his back pocket.
What kind of person could hit him with their car, and just leave
him for dead? How is this poor man going to feel?
So unimportant. I don't want this man to feel unimportant.
Maybe that's why we were involved in this trauma, because he is
important. I don't know the answers. I just know that I've
been having trouble trying to go on about my daily life, and not
think about him.
I called the Sheriff's dept. on Tuesday to try and find out
where they took him. They transferred me to CHP. They were
able to tell me the hospital he was taken to. I called there,
but without a name, they couldn't tell me anything.
I called back to CHP, told them my story, and asked if they
could help me to find out about this man. They said they really
appreciate the fact that I care, and thanked me for caring, but
unfortunately, they cannot give me any information.
I was afraid of that, and I totally understand why it has to be
that way. The sad truth is, there are some pretty sick people
in this world, and they have to protect this man's identity.
My heart was sad, I really feel a need to reach out to this man,
to show him some compassion, but how can I? I know that if it
is meant to be, it will happen, and if not, then I will have to
let it go.
I sat at my desk, feeling sad, with this man on my mind.
I don't know why this is so important, but I know that it is.
Automatically, I click on my email, and there's MountainWings
"52X". I saw it earlier, I just hadn't taken the time to read
it yet. But now feeling low, I thought would be a good time to
read it.
The first line,
"How do you know when you are doing the right thing?"
I continued to read, but couldn't concentrate; I kept going back
to that first line. I was almost to the end, couldn't tell you
what I was reading, I kept going back to the first line,
"How do you know when you are doing the right thing?"
Then it came to me. the Chaplain! All hospitals have a
Chaplain. I'll bet if I call and talk to the Chaplain, tell
them my story, they will help me.
I wouldn't expect them to give me personal information, such as
a name, but maybe they could tell me if this man is OK and if he
has friends and family around.
I've been making Valentines with my kids for friends and family.
I just have to know if this man has someone around that cares.
I finally got a call back from the Chaplin, and I told her my
story. She said she would see what she could find out, and call
me back. She called back and said she found him.
When I asked if he was doing ok, she said, "Considering the
extent of his injuries, he's doing ok." I asked her,
"Is he paralyzed?"
She said yes, and seemed puzzled that I knew that. But while I
was kneeling next to him, trying to comfort him, I knew.
When he tried to move around, his legs never moved, just his
head and his arm. I didn't realize until I said it, that I
knew. My heart sank so low for him. I asked if he had any
family around him. She said that he told her he had a brother
and a sister, she thinks they have been to see him, but doesn't
know if they live here.
She said that she talked to him, and he didn't mind if we came
to visit him. I'm going to call the Chaplain the day after
tomorrow, Valentine's Day.
We are going to go and visit him, take him a valentine, some
flowers, show him that we care, and are so sorry about what has
happened to him.
I don't know what to say, to this stranger, whose life is
forever changed. I do know, that when the time comes, I will
find the things that need to be said, the things that he needs
to hear. God has never let me down, he always gives me the
right words at the right time. I just know with all of my heart
and soul, that I am doing the right thing.
It's not about being a nice person, or having people tell you
that you are nice for caring, that has nothing to do with
anything. This goes so much deeper than that. There is some
reason that we came across this stranger, this possibly new
friend. Someday it will all be understood.
Thank you for a MountainWings Moment that gave me the answer
that I was so desperately searching for at the time.
~A MountainWings Original by Gail Donohoe~
Thank you for inviting MountainWings in your mailbox.
See you tomorrow.
Forward this issue to a friend or send them the link below:
http://www.mountainwings.com/past/3045.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment