Oh Dear,

My co workers today got me thinking about good deeds, helping others just for the sake of it. Some were against the idea, thinking why help someone who does nothing for you in return, while others thought it attracted great karma. Obviously the ones who have bad karma should know why by now..

All of which reminded me of a few years back, a few girlfriends and myself were heading out for lunch. On the way there, just before a major intersection we were stopped in congested traffic. Of course its around noon and everyone in the west island has decided they can no longer bear their tiny offices any longer and must venture out for lunch.

 To my left, I see an older woman crossing the street, not at the intersection like usual but j-walking. As she reaches the median in the middle of the road, she trips and falls. I see all of this and mention to the girls to look over, as they do we notice she's bleeding. After a few seconds she seems to be struggling, I tell my friend in the passenger seat to drive, as I take some napkins and get out to help her. Let's keep in mind, there are about 30 cars at this red light, 10 of which had to of seen this elderly woman fall. Not one of them offered to help, not even roll down their windows to ask this woman if she was alright. Were your lunch dates really that pressing you couldn't take a few seconds to even ask if this woman was alright? Awful, shame on every one of you that saw this and just stood by and watched.

 As I rushed over to help this woman, I asked her name while wiping up some of the blood, handing her Kleenex's for her nose as it was bleeding. The woman had no idea what her name was and was very confused from the fall. I guess she was just having a bit of memory lapse, or was just freaked out. Both acceptable under the circumstances.  I basically walked into moving traffic to stop it to allow both of us to cross the street to the gas station on the corner, all while this woman is crying in utter confusion at what had happened.

Luckily, I noticed she was still wearing the hospital bracelet, what a detective I would make, I guessed she had just come from an appointment, she did manage to tell me she had just had some blood tests done. So I called 911 to let them know we needed an ambulance, as my friends finally returned with my car they retrieved more napkins. I guess I would of called the looks on their faces shocked with a touch of amazement that I had just jumped out to help.  While we waited for the ambulance,I asked the woman for a family member to contact, she had an address book in her purse and gave me her sons name. As I called them, I noticed the ambulance was very lost and insisted my friend run over and guide the way for them. It wasn't like this was a normal place to get hurt and need an ambulance, we were at a gas station. The woman was still bleeding heavily from her nose, eyebrows and arm from the fall, so I was applying pressure in hopes to stop the bleeding. I'd like to thank all the criminal minds and my high school nurse for teaching me that one, it came in quite handy.  As my friends stood by the car waiting, I stayed with the woman who was calming down, she had stopped crying as I helped her into the ambulance and waited for her son to come.

The woman thankfully only needed a few stitches on her eyebrow and the family was so great full they even offered me money for helping her, or if they could send me a gift basket, which of course I declined. I shouldn't of been the only one helping her, everyone who saw her should of gotten out and at least asked if they could do anything, but such is the world we live in and it says a mouthful about their personalities. I hope they enjoyed their lunches.